The Conquering King
by Lionheart021
Summary: Luffy receives a package from a very important person on his seventh birthday that radically alters his destiny. Armed with new knowledge and power, he takes the world by storm, gathering a fearsome crew and ensuring his name resounds throughout the heavens. Strong/OP Luffy, Different Devil Fruit and Crew, LuffyXHarem
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: As much as I wish it, I do not own One Piece…It belongs to that glorious bastard Eiichiro Oda

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Prologue: Red Dawn**

In a little cottage, on the hills of the Foosha village located on Dawn Island in the Goa Kingdom, we find 6 year old Monkey D. Luffy, looking very confused. He wore a plain white shirt coupled with green shorts and simple sandals. His raven black hair was as messy as always and his piercing purple eyes stared blankly into space. Ever since he could remember, he always felt as though something was missing. He lived alone in his little cottage, with Makino-neechan, the pretty barkeep at Party's Bar, occasionally checking up on him and making sure he was taking care of himself. His grandpa stopped by every few months to spend time with him, but he knew his grandpa was a busy man and couldn't come very often. He never once complained though, he wasn't some whiny brat. Luffy spent most of his days running around, chasing butterflies or playing with the local wildlife. He's a boy with a huge sense of adventure and loved learning or seeing new things. He spent his nights reading the picture books grandpa Garp and Makino-neechan bought him, often immersing himself in the content.

Most would call Luffy an idiot, but he was not. He just didn't care about things that didn't interest him. He was very perceptive, for the most part, about certain things. Which is why we find him sitting on the edge of his bed, looking lost as he contemplated the strange dreams that have been plaguing him. For a while now, he has been having dreams of a beautiful blonde woman with soulful purple eyes, holding her arms out to him, to embrace him. It made his heart pang with a sense of loss that he didn't even know he felt at the thought of the pretty lady. She looked at him with such warmth and love, that it made him long for her embrace. He didn't know if she was a figment of his imagination, or maybe a memory, but Luffy desperately wanted to know about her. Why was she haunting his dreams? What was she trying to tell him? And why did she have the same colour eyes as he did? He wanted to tell his grandpa, but that might just earn him a punch to the head, which wouldn't be fun at all. Makino-neechan was busy and he didn't want to bother her with his problems. It was his birthday tomorrow, and he didn't want to cause unwanted tension on that day. He would be turning 7 and he couldn't wait to see what presents he got. With one final thought to the lady in his dreams, he bid the empty room a good night before turning in.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

"Happy birthday Luffy!" Cheered Makino as she brought her favourite little boy into a tight embrace, smothering his face in her generous bosom, much to the jealousy of some of the men in the bar.

"Thanks Nee-chan!" Luffy responded as he melted into her hug. He really liked Makino-neechan. She always had time for him, not to mention she made the tastiest meals. After a few minutes of fussing over him, she presented Luffy with a neatly wrapped box, which he excitedly tore into, revealing a new picture book detailing the adventures of his favourite protagonist. He awarded Makino with a bone crushing hug and a hurried thank you before racing off to his home to get started on it, leaving behind an amused Makino who smiled warmly at his retreating back.

As he sat at his little desk, Luffy lost himself in the pages of his new adventure. He wasn't the biggest fan of reading, but there wasn't much else to do in such a quiet village. It's why he loved when his grandpa came by and told him stories of his adventures. He was so engrossed in his book, that he almost missed the knock on his door. He looked outside and realized that the sun was almost setting. He completely lost track of time. He rushed to the door after a few seconds, thinking that it was his grandpa stopping by.

He was disappointed when he was greeted by the sight of a nondescript courier.

"Good evening little boy. I'm here to deliver a package to a Monkey D. Luffy. Could you get him for me please?" The courier asked in a polite tone, trying hard not to sound like some creepy pedophile.

Luffy just gave him a flat stare, which, for a seven year old, was pretty impressive.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy." He responded blandly. He courier just stared at him for a few minutes, before giving up, realizing that the little boy was indeed the one the package was intended for. After getting Luffy to sign off on it, he handed the package to the boy. It wasn't the biggest or the heaviest, but he expected the little guy to have a bit of trouble with it, just as he did, which was why he was a bit dumbstruck when he saw the boy easily carry the package away with one arm before turning away and closing the door.

Luffy was both confused and excited at the package. Confused as to who would send him something besides his grandpa and Makino-neechan. He knew it wasn't from his grandpa as it was neatly wrapped with pretty purple paper. If it was his grandpa, it would be messily wrapped in old newspapers. He actually had to stop for a moment and direct a flat stare at a wall at the extremely likely scenario of that happening.

As opposed to his normal behavior, Luffy carefully opened this package. He didn't want to damage the wrapping too badly. It was something instinctual within him that made him cautious to ruin it. He didn't really understand why, but he was always one to trust his instincts.

After unveiling the package, it revealed a medium sized, ornate black metallic box, with what looked like a red moon on it. It had a clasp that looked like it could fit a lock as well as a small handle that looked like it could be used to either lift it hang it up somewhere. All in all, it looked like a treasure chest to Luffy, who was getting both excited and apprehensive at the same time. His excitement won out though as he open the chest and peered into it. The first thing he noticed was an envelope with his name written on it in an elegant print. He picked it up and looked at the rest of the contents. It was mostly empty except for a handful of plain black books, they looked like those journals you could buy from the store. There was also a weirdly shaped fruit that looked like a blue pumpkin with swirly designs on it. He disregarded the contents for now and opened the letter.

As he opened it, a picture fell out of the fold. He picked it up and turned it over and received the shock of his young life at the face that stared back at him. It was the same woman from his dreams. Her beautiful blonde hair was flowing neatly down her back and she was dressed in a simple white summer dress and gladiator sandals. She didn't looked to be wearing any make up on her creamy white skin and her gorgeous purple eyes, the same shade as his, was alight with joy as she smiled at the camera, gently cradling a bundle to her bosom that had a tuft of black hair sticking out the end. Luffy's heart sang at the sight of the woman, her smile brought him a sense of happiness and contentment that he couldn't understand. He needed to know more. He gently set the picture down and turned to the letter. His heart almost seized up upon reading the first line.

 _Dear Luffy, my beautiful baby boy,_

 _It's hard to describe how painful it is for me to write this letter to you, knowing that I probably will never got to tell you the things you need to know in person. I can see you playing with the stuffed bear that I bought you in cot beside me as I write this letter, and the thought of not being there for you as you grow up in this cruel world fills me with despair. I so badly want to be there to watch you take your first steps and utter your first words. But as much as I want to rage about it, I know that you will be strong enough to face what may come. If you're wondering who I am, and I won't be surprised if you have never heard of me as I don't expect that useless deadbeat of a grandpa of yours or his equally worthless son to ever tell you about me, name is Sylvia, and I am your mother._

 _I know you are probably wondering where I am, which is understandable. The fact that you are reading this letter means only one thing, I am no longer amongst the living. I know that it may hurt to hear that, having just gotten to know that you have a mother only for it to be taken away. I want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being strong enough to bear the weight of my sins, for not being there for you when you need me the most. I detailed most of the information of my life, what I know about the World Government and the Marines as well as some Pirates in those journals I left for you. There is also information about certain techniques and abilities that you can train so that you are strong enough to face the storm that will be ahead of you. I also managed to get my hands on a devil fruit. To be honest, I kind of stole if from the Marine Headquarters. They were planning on giving it to whichever new Admiral managed to get promoted, to boost his power. It is a logia class devil fruit, the Goro Goro no Mi. I know that won't mean much to you at this point but as you read the journals I left to you it will make a lot more sense. I don't want to overload you with information that you might not fully understand which is why I numbered the journals for you to read in that specific order to fully comprehend the information contained within. I know you may be a bit confused, or maybe you don't like to read, but I beg of you, please read those journals seriously. I want you to know what kind of place the world is and the dark side of it. I know people may think I'm crazy for telling a seven year old this information and you may even end up hating me for destroying your innocence, but I can live with that as long as you are happy and safe._

 _What you need to know about me is that I am a very important person to the World Government. As you read more you will fully comprehend just how important. The World Government and by extension the Marines have a twisted sense of 'Absolute Justice'. It was something I didn't agree with, and regardless of my position in the Government, a lot of people didn't look favourably upon me for it. I don't want to colour your perceptions with my bias, but I will tell you of some of the incidents that I witnessed as well as what happened to me. I want you to take that information and go out and find your own meaning and understanding of it. Some of what you read may fill you with anger, or maybe even hatred, but I want you to promise me to never give in to it. I don't want you seeking revenge or anything silly like that. What I want for you is to live, my darling son, live and be free. Never be afraid or ashamed of who you are and scream your name to the heavens if you must._

 _As I said before, people didn't look at me in a favourable light, especially the higher ranked members of the Government. They wanted me to act more like someone befitting my position, but I wasn't some passive girl. I liked to think I was strong. I trained hard every day to get to where I was and I was proud of my strength. Most people overlooked my activities, even though they frowned at it, my family included. But the birth of my son, of you, was something that they took the greatest offence to. Especially considering who your farther is. I will tell you about him in my journals, I'm sorry to say though that I don't really love him, and I doubt that he loves me. It was just a silly mistake on my part, fuelled by hormones and anger at my family. But that one mistake led me to the greatest achievement of my life…You._

 _I want you to know Luffy, even though I consider the act of getting together with your father a mistake, I don't consider you one at all. A lot of people will call your existence a sin, and say that you should have been put to death at birth. I want you to know that, regardless of what those idiots think, you are not a sin. You are my beautiful baby boy. My crowning achievement. My pride and joy. Giving birth to you was the happiest moment of my life. I can still remember the day like it was yesterday. It was late at night, and the red moon was hanging in the sky. While some would see that as a bad omen, I knew it meant that you were destined for greatness. How could I not? You are MY son after all! Holding you in my arms for the first time filled me with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I gave birth to such a wondrous being. It was love at first sight for me the moment I laid eyes upon you._

 _I know I don't have much time left in this world, and I know you might hate me, for what I'm going to do and for my own weakness. Like I said before, I can live with that. As long as you can find some use in what I've given you and be strong enough to survive, to live, then I can go to my death with a smile on my face. Even if you hate me, or are ashamed of me, know that I love you with all my heart and I will be proud of you regardless of what you become._

 _This is the end of what I need to tell you, but don't be sad Luffy. I want you to smile that adorable smile that I fell hopelessly in love with. Remember, knowledge is power, take what I give you and turn it into your strength. If you want to turn the world on its head, than I will support you. And if you want to live life as an ordinary citizen, I will support that too. But you are my son, and I know you well enough to know that a simple life is not something that will satisfy you. Train hard, eat right and always be mindful of your manners. Find a nice girl in the future, or maybe even girls. I know my baby boy is manly enough to charm anyone. Just make sure to give me lots of cute grandbabies!_

 _I can barely find the strength to finish writing this, but this is goodbye for now my love. Know that I will be watching over you. Go out and be the man I know you will be and never let anyone stand in your way of you or your dreams. I love you Luffy, now and forever._

 _Your loving mother,_

 _Sylvia_

Luffy couldn't stop the tears that were flowing from his eyes as he read the letter. He had a mother, and she loved him. His heart soared at that thought. He gently placed the letter back in the envelope after reading it once more, a massive grin blooming on his face. He always wondered about his parents, as he saw other families around the village, but his grandpa always dodged the question, and Makino-neechan didn't really know anything about his family. After a while, he just gave up on asking as it was clear even to him that his grandpa wasn't going to tell him anything. But know, he knows, he knows his mother's name, what she looks like, and most importantly, that she loved him. That alone filled him with an indescribable strength.

He hurriedly pulled out the journal marked as No.1 and diligently started to read. He read throughout the night till the break of dawn, never stopping once, other than to change books. He drank in his mother's words like a man dying of thirst who just found an oasis. Every word, every sentence that he read, his face contorted further and further in anger, and hatred. He couldn't believe what he was reading. It filled him with disgust. He always had to listen to rants about how his grandpa would turn him into a strong Marine, but after reading this, he would rather die that become one. He wanted to scream in anger and rage at the injustice of it all. But he bottled it up, till it turned into cold indifference. His mother begged him not to give into anger and hatred, and he will obey that to the best of his abilities.

He knew though, in his heart, that he will never become a Marine, or work for any branch of the World Government. He didn't want to be an ordinary citizen either. He wanted freedom and adventure.

A small grin slowly crept on his face. The only thing left for him to do, was to become a pirate. Thanks to the instructions left behind, he had enough to make himself strong enough to take on any enemies that may come his way. And while he wouldn't go out of his way to antagonise them, if he does come across some corrupt Marines, there's nothing stopping him from dishing out some pain and humiliation as well as appropriating some of their goods. His mother did say that she will be proud of him regardless of what he becomes. Maybe she realised that piracy was something that he was destined for. Nevertheless, he has at least 10 years or so to train himself, in the techniques and abilities left to him as well as the devil fruit his mother gifted him. Being a simple pirate is not enough fuel for his ambition. No, if he is going to be a pirate, anything less than standing at the top is unacceptable. He wanted his name to ring throughout the world, he wanted to be the man with the most freedom on the seas.

It was in that moment, unknown to the rest of the world, that a legend was born. Monkey D. Luffy vowed to himself, that he will become the Pirate King. Those who would dare stand in the way of his destiny will be crushed under the overwhelming weight of his ambition.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _ **Phew, that was a chore. It's always hard to get the intro parts of a story down because I'm always itching to get into the main points. Anyway, I hope you like this direction of the story. I wanted to give Luffy a different origin story. There is a plot point in canon (I won't call it a plot-hole because I know that ingenious bastard Oda-sensei definitely has something in mind) when it comes to Luffy's mother. I know the chapter seems a bit vague, and that is done intentionally. I won't reveal Luffy's mothers position or the circumstances of her death till much later on, probably around Amazon Lily. I know most of you probably put the pieces together already, but I may throw a curve ball, who knows.**_

 _ **I know the leaving the instructions is a bit of a cliché, but I didn't know any other way to get Luffy to know what I want him to know in the weakest sea ie. East Blue. Forgive me for that, but hopefully I can run with it. She will have left him a whole lot more, which you will see in the coming chapters.**_

 _ **The events to come will loosely follow canon. Meaning same towns and enemies but different outcomes so to speak. Like I said, he will have a totally different East Blue crew, and the events surrounding them may lead to some original arcs.**_

 _ **The next chapter skips straight to the day he leaves Foosha, meeting Coby, Alvida and his first mate…Kuina. Like I said in my intro note, Zoro will not be in this story, instead he will be replaced by Kuina. It is easy to see him having an accident when he was younger, I mean he was training with 3 huge weights while standing on the edge of a fucking cliff! Anyway, Kuina will be a lot more different than him in personality and sword style. I have a mix of Erza and Kagura (From Fairy Tail), as well as Lilliana Kranjcar (From Campione) in my mind when I think of her personality. Anyway, I gave enough away so far, you have to read on for more. Just know that I plan to make her, and the rest of the East Blue crew completely fucking badass.**_

 _ **I will do some periodic flashbacks if any important information needs to be inserted, but the people he met and befriended were basically the same.**_

 _ **I'm already 3000 words into the next chapter, so that may be out soon. For the readers of my other stories, fear not, I'm still progressing ahead with them. I've got about 7500+ word on each of the new chapters of Indomitable Will and A Frozen Heart. It's just hard to find time to write during this busy period of College. But when inspiration strikes, you have to put pen to paper, like with this story. I also have ideas for a Fairy Tail, Pokemon, Harry Potter and s Percy Jackson story. So don't be surprised if you see one of those. Anyway, I hope you like what I've done so far, stick around for the next few chapters to see how things will unfold. Let me know what you think.**_

 _ **Anyway…on to the next chapter…Lionheart021 out!**_


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: As much as I wish it, I do not own One Piece…It belongs to that glorious bastard Eiichiro Oda

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 1: The Legend Begins**

In a medium sized dinghy, lazily floating along in the vast expanse of the seas in the East Blue, a 17 year old Monkey D. Luffy was casually lying on his back in the little boat with his hands on the back of his head for support and his left leg crossed over his right knee. He looked the picture of boredom.

It's been a long 10 years for Luffy since that life changing day that he received the priceless treasure from his mother. He looked back fondly at those memories. They were filled with happy times of him helping Makino-neechan in her bar, as well as learning proper mannerisms from her. It was there that he met the travelling pirate Shanks and that boisterous crew of his. Luffy instantly liked those guys and was well liked in return. He spent a lot of time bonding with them, especially Shanks. Listening to stories about their voyages and the battles they fought. Luffy was enraptured by their tales. In his mind, that was what he wanted. To have a close knit crew, a family, and go on exciting adventures and fight exhilarating battles.

He never knew his father, in terms of having met him, he of course knew who he was thanks to his mother's journals. He didn't hate the guy, he didn't believe in judging people without having met them first, but he didn't really love him either. In his mind, his father didn't really do anything that made Luffy care. Until so, he will remain somewhat indifferent to him, treating him like the stranger that he was. That being said, while he never knew his birth father, he often times wondered if the time he spent with Shanks could be construed as such. He didn't really have a male role model in his life. His grandpa was a borderline sociopath and the mayor was a bit of an ass. Shanks treated him like he imagined a father would treat his son. He knew he may have been stretching it, but it was enough for him. He treasured the bond he made with the man, and he could see in his eyes that Shanks probably left something similar. He made a promise to find him on the Grand Line, to meet at the apex of the world and stand as equals. It was a promise that Luffy treasured.

Suffice to say, Garp was not in the least bit amused at Luffy being friendly with the infamous 'Red Hair' Shanks and his crew, which is why he dumped him in the mountains with a bunch of bandits lead by 'Curly' Dadan. The old bandit wasn't pleased in the slightest at having to raise another brat for Garp, her hands already being full with the other one, but conceded nonetheless, as one just doesn't say 'no' to Garp.

That led to the first meeting between Luffy and the freckled strawberry blonde tomboy menace known as Portgas D. Ann. She did not ingratiate herself with Luffy upon their first meeting, with her trust and anger issues. Luffy wasn't one to allow people to walk over him either nor would he grovel for friendship from someone who clearly didn't want it. The volatile relationship between those two spelt a horrible time for Dadan and her family, and provided a great deal of amusement to Makino who thought their hate/hate relationship was adorable.

Fortunately they were able to get over their issues and become friends quickly, often playing in the forests of the Goa Kingdom. It was an encounter with the pirate Bluejam, and the fiasco of the Grey Terminal that led to the booming friendship between Luffy and Ann. Unfortunately, it was the death of another close friend that really brought them together. They were almost inseparable from then on. It was also a bittersweet moment for Luffy, who awakened the power within him, something that he was trying to do for a long time with little success, from the grief that he felt at the loss of one of the few friends he had. It was something that further drove how corrupt the world truly was to him. That event, along with revealing their fathers to each other, allowed Luffy and Ann to further bond, evolving their relationship to sworn siblings.

Ann, while being antagonistic at first, soon became protective of Luffy, to an extreme degree. It got to a point where people would get their kneecaps broken if they messed with Luffy. It honestly freaked him out at first, but slowly came to accept it as one of her more lovable quirks as time went on. While he didn't need to be protected, he allowed her to have her moments where she so just to appease her protective nature. Naturally, he wasn't any better in that regard. More than a few of the boys on the island ended up taking mysterious beatings with no memory of it and often being left in shallow graves, they all coincidentally were perving on Ann at some point when she was blossoming into a beautiful woman in the midst of puberty. Suffice to say Dadan, Makino and Ann all knew what happened to those boys, but kept their lips closed to spare Luffy the embarrassment he may feel if they were to tease him for it. Makino found it adorable, and even Dadan thought it was cute the way they protected each other. It was a tear-filled goodbye when Ann set off on her journey and she made Luffy promise to find her on the Grand Line when his time comes.

Naturally, while all these events were happening in his life, Luffy never once slacked off in his training. While he had to hide what he was doing, even though it hurt him to do so from the people he cared about, it was a somewhat necessary evil in his eyes. The less people that know about the information he has, the less chance of someone, more specifically his grandfather finding out. He still loved his grandpa very much and would forever be thankful to him for the protection that he afforded Luffy, but after reading his mother's journals, he was a lot more apprehensive in terms of what he said or asked in Garp's presence. His grandpa was a hero to the Marines and that alone made Luffy weary. He knew his grandpa would never hurt him, but still kept his guard up just in case those around his grandpa dug a little too deep and come across something that they shouldn't have. It's the same reason that he didn't eat his devil fruit right away. It would have been disastrous if Garp found out about it. Luffy would have been dumped at the nearest Marine base for training and induction.

For that reason, Luffy bided his time. He was originally going to wait till he set sail to eat it, but a golden opportunity presented itself to him when his grandpa came home with a prototype handcuff in his jacket. After getting a bit tipsy, he overheard him tell Makino-neechan that it was a new type of handcuff made of Kairōseki, a substance that renders devil fruit users incapable of using their ability, as well as weakening them. Luffy saw his chance and discreetly stole it when his grandpa was passed out and put it with the rest of his stash. When Garp left again to go to Headquarters, Luffy got to work on his project. He carefully separated the handcuffs, before using whatever little sculpting skill he had to redesign the outside of the cuff with paint and engravings, turning it into a bracelet. It was something he was quite proud of. He immediately ate his devil fruit and was amazed at the additional power that he could feel at his disposal. He added the training of his devil fruit abilities to his timetable and was quite creative in the application of it, in terms of the different techniques he thought up. Of course, by constantly wearing the bracelet around when he wasn't training didn't let anyone know of the dangerous power that he possessed. It was a win/win for him as he also built up his resistance to Kairōseki, to a small degree. He still couldn't fully use his devil fruit, but some passive abilities still remained with him. The biggest difference was that he didn't feel like the life was being drained out of him, which is what he originally felt when he strapped the bracelet on. It was progress in his mind as know he wouldn't be taken by surprise if someone managed to get him with Kairōseki. He could still use his regular strength to a degree to find a way out.

It wasn't just training his body that he did either. For his 13th birthday, he received another gift. This one being a lot longer. He was awed when he unwrapped it to find a breathtaking black sword. It was a sword belonging to the katana family, being a little longer than a regular katana but shorter than an odachi. It was pure black with three upward curving groves on the blunt side. The handle was wrapped in black leather with three purple diamond shapes on either side of the handle. The guard was in the shape of a manji. All in all, it was a badass sword and Luffy's eyes were literally shining with glee when he laid his eyes on it. He recognized it immediately. It was his mother's sword, Mugetsu. One of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords. He knew he definitely needed to learn how to wield the beautiful sword. It just made people more badass to have a sword. He also carried around his precious chest that contained his mother's journals as well as other important things he's picked up over the years.

As previously stated, we find Luffy lazily lounging in his dinghy as he floats aimlessly in the ocean. He stared blankly at the sky above, not really caring about what was going on around him. As he looked out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a whirlpool that his boat was heading straight into. He let out an annoyed exhale at the disturbance of his thoughts and slowly stood. He had changed a great deal physically over the years. He now stood at an impressive height of 6 ft 1 inch. He was clad in black leather pants with black biker boots on his feet. His gleaming silver belt buckle had the head of a snarling demon on it. On his torso he wore a black, high collar leather trench coat that flared out at the bottom, reaching just below his knees. He wore no shirt underneath with the top portion of his coat exposing a bit of his well-defined chest and had the dragon fang necklace that his sister got him around his neck. On the left breast area of his coat was a red moon emblem emblazoned upon the leather. He thought it was a pretty badass look. He let his raven black hair grow out, reaching past his shoulders and stopping in the middle of his back. He had the small portion that framed his face on the right side in a single, long braid, which ended with two purple beads at the end point. The three woman in his life always had fun playing with his hair, making crazy braids or weird hairstyles for fun. He always allowed them to amuse themselves with his hair. To complete his ensemble, he carried his sheathed sword in his hand, giving him quite the dangerous vibe. He liked it.

As he eyed the whirlpool, he knew he needed to abandon the boat. Luckily he didn't have any sentimental value to it, so he had no problem ditching it. The problem was where he would go. He closed his eyes and focused his senses, he could hear numerous voices nearby. Two large gatherings of people. One group was giving off a lot more negative feelings than the other. He decided to take the more docile group as he didn't want any unnecessary trouble this early on. With nary a whisper, he transformed into a blue lightning bolt and shot up into the sky. Using the clouds, he jumped from one cloud to the next till he got to the spot above his destination. In a lot quieter fashion, he zipped into one of the empty cabins on what looked like a passenger ship. This was one of the more out of the box skills that he thought up for his devil fruit. He could already move at the speed of light thanks to his body basically being made of lightning. Using the cloud cover, he could probably travel anywhere. But it would drain him if used for extended periods of time. But that was fine with him, he didn't plan on using it to travel the world. He wanted to do it the old fashion way. This skill was handy for sneaking into places or making quick getaways.

As he took stock of the room, he decided that he would lay low and see how the scene would play out for the time as he sensed the more volatile of the groups slowly approaching the passenger ship. He would decide his course of action afterwards.

As he exited the empty cabin, he leisurely made his way through the lower deck of the ship, taking care not to bump into anyone official. He didn't exactly have clearance to be on this ship after all. And while he could probably neutralize every single person on this ship without lifting a finger, he long since decided that sometimes, a little subtlety worked a lot better in these situations. Which isn't to say he wouldn't brute force his way through things if push came to shove, it's just what people in his family seemed good at after all. In his mind, he imagined Garp laughing uproariously as he smashed in the skulls of whatever enemy pirates he came across. That guys was the poster boy for brute force if there ever was one. Even his mother, from her stories that he read in the journals, was a crazy battle maniac. Damn, just thinking about the fucked up people he's related to, by blood or relation, was kind of depressing him. Oh well, he wasn't the sanest guy around either so there's no use dwelling on it.

He spotted a lot of people in fancy suits and cocktail dresses, coming to the conclusion that this was some kind of high society gathering. He spotted a pretty orange haired girl who, to his sharp eyes, looked out of place in terms of body language. He overlooked her though as it wasn't any of his business. He made his way out onto the deck and casually leaned against the railing as he peered out into the ocean.

He immediately spotted what he was looking for. He had to take a moment to prevent himself from gagging. It was a hideous pink ship with stylized red hearts painted onto the sails. The Jolly Roger consisted of a sideways facing skull and crossbones with another red heart in the middle of the skull. And to put the metaphorical cherry on the cake, it had the upper body of a swan as a figurehead. A giant fucking swan! What the hell was wrong with these people!? It looked like that ship just sailed out of Barbie's vagina. It made Luffy almost physically ill. It was affront to everything pirates stood for.

Initially, he was planning on leaving these guys to their own devices, but now he needed to punch something. As the gears turned in his head, a terrifying grin broke out on his face. He had no doubt that his name would be plastered across wanted posters soon enough, but racking up some good PR before the shit hits the fan couldn't really hurt him. These people looked to be socialites, therefore they had a somewhat impressive social circle to exchange stories and gossip. Making a lasting impression on them can only help his cause. He doesn't really care much about playing a hero, but for now, he'll suppress his annoyance to put on a show.

The lookout of the spotted the pirate ship soon after and immediately alerted the rest of the ship, causing mass hysteria and panic amongst the guests. Luffy just shook his head at the predictable nature of humans. Instead of remaining calm to try and figure a way out, they panic and look to save only themselves. It was the sad truth of the world.

He heard one of the sailors identify the pirate ship as belonging to 'Iron Mace' Alvida, a female pirate worth 5,000,000 beli. In the East Blue, it was just above average as far as bounties go, but Luffy knew that it was basically worth peanuts on the Grand Line.

As the ship got closer, they launched ropes with hooks at the end which burrowed into the wood of the passenger ship which gave them a solid base to cross over and invade. While this was happening, Luffy bravely walked forward, which eventually drew stares from the rest of the occupants of the ship, who stopped and stared at the tall boy in black walking to his death.

The pirates smirked to themselves when they saw Luffy.

"Lookie here boys. We gots us a pretty boy tryna be a hero. Whats say we cut him up real good. Lady Alivda will surely reward us for our great work." One of the grunts smarmed out, much to the vocal acceptance of his equally slimy peers.

Luffy didn't really rise to the bait. Why would he? These guys looked like your cliché faceless grunts that he read about in his stories. He probably wouldn't even break a sweat taking them down. There was no use bantering with such trash. He decided against using his more flashy abilities and decided to keep it simple for now and use his raw strength to do most of the heavy lifting.

As the fodder where busy gloating and flexing their puny egos, Luffy blurred forward. It looked like a blur to regular people, but Luffy wasn't even trying. It was probably the slowest he could possibly go, years of brutal training is hard to overcome and holding back is more challenging than he thought it would be.

The first grunt ate a vicious knuckle sandwich that caved the right side of his face in, barely registering the agonizing pain before he lost consciousness. The rest of the invaders barely even had time to blink before they were dismantled by rapid punches and swift kicks, courtesy of Luffy. He wasted no time in disposing of the trash and almost had to stop himself from yawning at how pathetic these guys were. His overwhelming power and speed shone through as it was evident that these pirates had no training whatsoever. They were merely idiots who got their hands on some weapons and decided to wave it around for some reason.

He was the last man standing, compared to his adversaries who were whimpering in pain on the ground. The passengers on the ship were left dumbstruck, watching a 17 year old boy swiftly dispatch a group of about 30 full grown pirates in the span of about 20 seconds. The shock soon gave way to jubilation as they cheered for their savior.

Luffy just shook his head at these morons. He didn't really care about their adulation but the publicity may help him in some way in the future. He spotted a chubby pink haired boy out of the corner of his eye who was trembling like a leaf and eyeing Luffy with a look of intense fear and apprehension.

There was a loud crash that shook the very foundations of the ship, kicking up a lot of smoke. As the dust cleared, the source of the mini quake was revealed. It was a colossal facsimile of what Luffy assumed was supposed to be a woman. She wore a pink shirt that look to be straining over her horrifically bulky frame. She had white pants on her relatively smaller legs along with a pair of red shoes. She wore a blue captain's coat over her shirt with a white hat with red plumage on her head. Her black hair was stringy and oily looking and her face was the stuff of nightmares coupled with the unattractive freckles on her face. To complete her look, she carried around a hulking piece of metal that looked vaguely like a mace.

Once again, Luffy had to stop himself from blowing chunks all over the deck floor at the sight of this disgusting creature.

"What the hell is going on here?!" She thundered, her ugly face contorting into an even more nauseating expression.

"Al-Alvida-sama….h-he's too s-strong for us." One of the beaten men managed to whimper out. The now identified Alvida didn't take too kindly to that and promptly swung her mace down at him, crushing his skull. The civilians on the ship turned green at the gruesome sight and many lost their lunch. The pink haired coward became even more terrified if that was even possible.

"Insolence!" She roared before turning to the pink haired boy. "Coby!"

"Y-yes Alvida-sama." The now identified Coby stuttered out.

"Who is the most beautiful woman on the seas?" She questioned threateningly.

Coby was about to open his mouth and answer but was beaten to the punch by Luffy.

"I didn't know that Whales could talk. Looks like you can learn something new every day." Luffy commented nonchalantly, much to the growing horror of the civilians, who were familiar with the dangerous reputation of Alvida, and the cabin boy Coby, who looked at Luffy as though he just his death wish.

The vein on Alvida's forehead started to throb wildly at Luffy's comments and her repulsive face contorted to an even more hideous sight as she looked at Luffy with murder in her eyes.

"You can glare at me all you like, it won't change anything." He said, with a look of faux pity directed at her that infuriated her even more.

"So you're the insolent punk that beat up my men, you don't look like the 'Pirate Huntress' Kuina." She stated with a sneer on her face.

"'Beat up' is such a vulgar term. I'm more inclined to say that I reeducated them in the manners that they seemed to be sorely lacking. I'd like to say I'm sorry, and if I could find a way to do so and sound sincere…I would." He replied without a shred of remorse.

Alvida started to tremble in fury at the insolent boy in front of her. Without delay, she hefted her stupidly large mace, which slightly impressed Luffy…though not by much, and brought it down on his head with frightening force. It drew a terrified squeak from the still cowering Coby and gasps of horror from the spectators. They expected the boy's cranium to be smashed in with his brain matter smeared all over the deck.

Instead, they were left comically gaping, with their eyes bulging out of their sockets and their mouths wide open, as Luffy effortlessly caught the swing and held the mace in place, his expression never changing. His grip was inherently superior to that of Alvida's, as evidenced by her struggle to free her precious mace from his clutches. Luffy just quirked a single eyebrow at her in amusement.

"Normally in situations like this, a protagonist will deliver a cool line like 'this is gonna hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you'…but that would be a blatant lie because this is going to hurt like a bitch. I would clench my teeth if I were you." Luffy advised with a pleasant smile on his face as he cocked his left hand back before unleashing a bullet punch that nobody could track, with the exception of the thunderclap that sounded out from the impact as Alvida's grotesque body contorted around Luffy's fist before being shot off far into the horizon, leaving a twinkle in the sky.

Luffy put his hand above his eyes and squinted in that direction to try and see where she flew off to. It would have been a comical sight for the passengers if they weren't so flabbergasted at his raw strength.

After taking a few more minutes, Luffy dusted his hands off before turning to, what looked like to him, the captain of the vessel he was currently on.

"Thank you young man, for your courage and heroics that undoubtedly saved us all." The captain said humbly as he held his hat to his chest before giving Luffy a small bow.

Luffy just smiled kindly to the old man, a genuine one this time, before replying.

"This nothing of it sir, I was just in the right place in the right time."

"Nonsense, you probably saved our lives from that vile woman on this day, there must be something we can do to repay you." The captain insisted, much to Luffy's internal joy. It was exactly what he had hoped for.

"Well now that you mention it, I did kind of lose my boat in that whirlpool back there along with my provisions. I actually swam to this ship as it was the closest one by, hoping I could buy some food and maybe a small boat." He replied with a well-rehearsed face of sincerity. While he did feel a little bad for manipulating these people, it wasn't really something malicious. He did after all do them a huge favour and probably saved their lives. He didn't think that slightly bending the truth would do much harm.

"Nonsense young man, we will give you a small rowing boat for free. Men, stock up one of the emergency boats with provisions for at least a week!" He commanded, causing his crew to salute before hurrying off to get the job done. The captain turned to Luffy once again. "I'm sorry, I didn't even get your name."

"It's Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy."

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

As Luffy was preparing to board the boat the captain gave to him, he was interrupted by the squeak of something unintelligible. He turned to see the pink haired boy from before staring at him in awe and fear. He quirked an eyebrow at the stuttering boy, urging him to get on with whatever he wanted.

"U-um…I w-wanted to t-thank you...for freeing me f-from Alvida-sa-, no Alvida." He managed to stutter out. Seeing Luffy continuing to stare at him, Coby decided to elaborate. "Two years ago I got on what I thought was a fishing boat, turns out it was a boat belonging to the Alvida Pirates. I've been as good as a slave on that ship since then. Luckily, my skill in navigation made it so they didn't kill me, but it wasn't a pleasant experience either."

Luffy continued to give him a flat stare, making the boy sweat a little, before asking him an obvious question.

"If you didn't like it, why didn't you just leave?"

Coby gave him a horrified look in response.

"Impossible! Alvida would have found me and killed me. Just thinking about it makes me shiver." Cody shrieked out hysterically, causing Luffy to look at him with a little annoyance.

"So not only are you a coward but you're also a weakling too." He pointed out, causing arrows with the words 'coward' and 'weakling' to pierce Coby's chest. "I really hate people like you." Luffy finished with a pleasant smile on his face.

Coby slumped down with comical tears running down his face at Luffy's brutal assessment.

"U-um Luffy-san, are you a Marine?" Coby timidly asked.

Luffy momentarily went stiff at the question before letting the tension flow out of his body.

"No, right now, I'm not anything. I'm taking the time to scour East Blue for talented individuals." He replied.

"What for?" Coby inquired. Luffy got a shark-like grin on his face at that question.

"For my pirate crew, of course." He replied, making Coby pale in realization.

"You're a p-pirate?"

"Mmhmm…but I'm just starting out. I'm currently looking for a crew. You should be thankful Coward, you can tell your grandchildren in the future that you were saved by the Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy." Luffy declared with a grin on his face. Coby just looked at him with a boggled expression.

"P-p-pirate King?! So you're going to the Grand Line? After One Piece? Impossible. They call it a pirate graveyard you know. Not to mention all the others going for the same goal. Impossible. Impossible. There's no way. It's imposs-"Coby's rant was cut off by a swift knuckle to the head from Luffy, who looked at him in annoyance.

"I don't care if it's impossible. It's my dream, and I will follow through with it and if I die trying, so be it. I won't give up because others think it's impossible. I **will** be the Pirate King." Luffy declared with such confidence and conviction that Coby had no choice but to believe him, anything else seemed illogical. He was awed by the willpower and dedication of Luffy. He felt some of that courage fill him up.

"Do you think if I tried, I could achieve my own dream?"

"Which is?"

"I…I want to join the Marines and catch bad guys like Alvida!" Cody announced. He was still trembling a little, but he mustered up enough confidence to speak out his dream.

"Hoh…looks like you aren't nearly as spineless as I thought you were if you could say something like that in front of a pirate." Said Luffy, causing Coby to squeak in fear. "But I don't see why you can't achieve that if you're dedicated enough and willing to endure what comes your way."

Coby's face lit up in joy at the endorsement from someone he was beginning to admire a great deal. He was the strongest person that he knew and he believed that he could become a strong Marine.

"You seem to be knowledgeable about these parts of the sea. Tell me, Alvida mentioned someone called the 'Pirate Huntress' Kuina. Who is she?" Luffy questioned. Code went a little pale again at the mention of that name.

"She's someone all pirates fear in these parts. A bounty hunter that's said to be a demon wearing human skin. She's ruthless and vicious when hunting her bounties, like a beast hungering only for their blood. From Alvida's information, she was last spotted in Shells Town." Coby responded.

Luffy suddenly got a manic grin on his face at hearing that description, making Coby nervous as hell.

"A demon huh? Shishishi…sounds like a good prospect for my crew. The perfect starting point. To Shells Town it is then." He stated before finishing his packing of the boat.

Coby wanted to argue with him, to talk him out of potentially getting himself killed by the fearsome 'Pirate Huntress', but for the few minutes that he knew Luffy, he knew that it would be pointless. Instead he asked another question, hoping he wouldn't get beaten up.

"D-Do you think I could get a lift with you to Shells Town? I heard there's a Marine base there and I was hoping I could try to get in." He questioned timidly. Luffy just raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders.

"Sure, but you will have to carry your own weight." He stated, causing Coby to break out into a happy smile.

"Thank you so much for your kindness, Luffy-san!"

"Yeah yeah, just don't get used to it. Now, I want to go find this 'Pirate Huntress' before she's on the move again, so get in and let's get moving." Luffy ordered, before watching Coby scamper onto the boat before the both of them set sail.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

After docking is boat, Luffy took a leisurely stroll through the town, occasionally stopping to buy a fruit. He had a black burlap sack that he carried over his shoulder containing the chest his mother gifted him. He didn't feel safe just leaving his priceless treasure on an unguarded boat. His new shadow, Cody, was diligently tailing him. While on the surface, it looked like a peaceful town, there was an underlying tension in the air that was almost palpable to Luffy's sharp senses. He immediately put his guard up. While he knew that there wasn't much threat posed to him here in the East Blue, being cautious never hurt anyone. He didn't want to become overconfident in his abilities. So he was on alert as he continued his trek before stopping before a huge stone wall, with the logo of the Marines on it.

"Well Coby, here it is. You are one step closer to your dream. I'm off to go see if I can find this woman named Kuina, from what I managed to gather from the townspeople, she's being kept locked up somewhere in this base." Luffy stated before taking a small leap and landing deftly on the edge of the wall.

Upon looking into the courtyard, his eyes were met by a sight that took his breath away. There in the middle of the courtyard, tied to what looked like a wooden crucifix by a flimsy rope, was a woman. No, just describing her as a woman would be a crime. She had midnight blue hair that reached her lower back, tied in messy braid. She wore a plain black button up shirt that constrained over her large breasts along with faded blue jeans that hugged her shapely hips coupled with black flats. Her icy blue eyes looked sunken and she had dark rings around them. For all her natural beauty, her countenance was quite gaunt. Her lips were chapped and her stomach looked to be caving in. All in all she looked quite haunted. But that was just on the surface. Luffy's perceptive eyes picked up on her body language though. Despite the fact that she looked to be starving, her eyes screamed defiance. Her posture was primed and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. He could make out the powerful and well defined muscles beneath her skin. Even though she looked to be on her last legs, she looked every bit a warrior queen to Luffy's eyes.

He broke out into an excited grin at the sight of her. She was absolutely perfect! He decided that he wasn't leaving this little island without her. He would have her on his crew one way or another.

His contemplations were cut short by a sharp intake of breath from beside his as he spotted Coby out of the corner of his eye. He boy looked to be in serious need of new underwear.

"That midnight blue hair and those cold blue eyes with that fierce expression, no doubt about it, that's her, the 'Pirate Huntress' Kimishima Kuina!" He uttered with a terrified expression on his face.

Luffy shook his head at the cowardly boy before refocusing his attention at his future crewmate. She was special, he could see that. He wondered if she would be willing to join with him without him having to resort to dirty measures. He wanted his first Mate to be someone he could trust his back to, and it looked like she could be it. He only hoped she wasn't some cocky asshole. But he doubted it.

There was click of a ladder hitting the wall as a ladder was propped up beside Luffy before it was scaled by an adorable little girl, looking no older than eight. She reached the top and cutely put her finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet before climbing over the wall and making her way to Kuina. Coby was panicking and pleading to Luffy to save the girl but Luffy just ignored him, hoping to see more of what was about to happen.

He watched as the little girl offered onigiri to Kuina, who harshly turned her away. The girl never lost her smile though and continued to insist on her eating it.

They were interrupted however by a smarmy looking jackass with the ugliest haircut Luffy has ever seen in his life. He looked like a complete douchebag with his egg-shaped head, just the kind of guy that Luffy took offence to.

He didn't help his case when he snatched one of the little girl's onigiri, bit a chunk out, and then promptly spat it out before tossing the rest of her creations on the ground and stomping on them in a petulant display.

The poor girl was on the verge of tears, and Kuina, Luffy noticed, had a murderous expression on her face.

The worthless egghead then ordered one of the Marines to throw the girl over the fence, and while reluctant at first, the officer actually obeyed the order.

Lucky for the girl, Luffy was on the scene, and he gently scooped her out of the sky and gently placed her on the ground before playfully ruffling her hair, earning a cute giggle from the girl. Luffy told her she should probably go home and that he would find her later on.

Luffy looked to Coby and noticed that the boy was in the middle of a moral dilemma after witnessing a scene that shattered his beliefs of what the Marines were supposed to be like.

Luffy ignored him and turned back to face the courtyard. He would never consider himself a hero but seeing these corrupt Marines, the kind he hated the most, attempt to hurt an innocent little girl like that for no other reason than to fuel his own ego, it really made his blood boil. Although he intended to keep a low profile, he couldn't ignore something like this. But first, he needed to speak with the object of his interest.

He stealthily scaled the fence and swiftly made his way to her before quietly standing before her, silently observing her.

Kuina noticed the shadow obscuring her and looked up to see a handsome looking guy in black staring at her with the most entrancing pair of eyes she's ever seen. His piercing gaze sent a shiver up her spine for some reason. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. She refused to show any weakness though and stared defiantly back at him. After about a minute of staring, she was about to open her mouth and give out a scathing comment when she noticed his eyes soften as he looked at her. Something in that gaze of his made her tummy flutter giddily.

"I won't ask you why you haven't broken out yet when those ropes are clearly not a match for your strength. I originally came here to recruit you to my pirate crew, but I decided to put it on hold for now. I can see in your eyes that you have something to prove. Whether it's to these Marines or to yourself, I won't ask. I won't question your resolve. I will be in town for a while. If at any time you are in danger I will step in." Luffy said to her, much to her shock and bewilderment. She didn't know how to fully process what he just said to her when Luffy turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Kuina called out to him. "The onigiri, feed it to me please." She requested. Her voice, even though it was hoarse from a lack of water, still had a beautiful lilt to it that was quite pleasant to Luffy's ears.

He stared into her eyes when she made her request, seemingly searching for something, before smiling softly and gathering up the dirty onigiri from the ground and depositing it into her mouth. She grimaced as she chewed on it, having great difficulty. After finally swallowing it, she took a breath before facing Luffy once more.

"It was delicious. The best onigiri I have ever tasted." She declared. Luffy got the meaning behind her words and gave her an approving smile and nod that pleased her immensely for some reason before leaving his parting words for her.

"Good luck in your mission Kimishima Kuina. I look forward to what else you can show me."

As Kuina watch the back of the stranger disappear, she was left with a cacophony of conflicting emotions. She was never what one would call girly. She was a tomboy in her younger years, and even after blossoming into an astounding beauty she never gave into her more earthly urges. That being said, she did appreciate the few good looking men that she came across. Which is why she couldn't deny the physical attraction she felt to the mysterious stranger. He was a very handsome man, there was no denying that. But there was something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something about the aura around him that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. He had the eyes of an apex predator. Kuina was never one to shy away from a fight, in fact she reveled in the feeling of battle. She also noticed the sheathed sword he carried at his side. But something deep and primal within her was warning her about the man. He didn't even seem to be making any attempt to hide his nature from her. It was something that baffled and unnerved her. Most people always have some kind agenda in approaching her. Whether it was to use her strength or wanting her body. But this man didn't seem to exhibit any of those signs, with the exception of him stating that he wanted to recruit her for his pirate crew, something that she never even considered doing before. But she couldn't deny that there was something in those eyes of his, something that thrilled her. In her semi-delirious state, she couldn't quite pin it down, and decided to put it in the back of her mind. She only had ten more days to go before she wins this little challenge, then she can go on her way, continuing her perceived journey to the top.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

"Really! She ate all of it?!" The little girl, Rika, exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes were alit with joy at the information Luffy gave her.

"She sure did. She said it was the most delicious onigiri that she's ever had." Luffy added. The smile on the face of Rika was immovable. Coby on the other hand, looked to be supremely confused.

"I don't understand, I thought that Kuina was some kind of demon?" He pondered.

"No! Kuina-neechan is a good person! It's all that stupid Helmoppo's fault!" Rika insisted before regaling the two travelers the story of the Marine Base Captain, Morgan and his cowardly son Helmoppo, along with the terror and oppression they wrought throughout this town. Coby was horrified at the prospect of the Marines being corrupt while Luffy didn't seem all that bothered as he was expecting something like this. Rika then told her about how Kuina saved her from Helmoppo's wolf and how she was unjustly arrested for it. Apparently she made a deal where if she survived thirty days tied in the middle of that courtyard without food, she would be released.

Luffy just nodded to himself, now understanding why she didn't just break out when she could. It was a matter of pride for her. She was clearly a woman out with something to prove. He admired that about her as he wasn't all that different himself.

His musing were cut short as that egg-headed idiot, who he now knows is named Helmeppo, walked into the bar with two Marine officers escorting him. Luffy had to use all of his training in self-control to keep himself from walking over to that moron and stomping him into the ground.

Helmoppo walked in like he owned the place and sat down with his feet on the table.

"Bring me a drink, wench. I'm hungry as well so we're all going to eat for free!" He declared before laughing obnoxiously. The patrons of the restaurant were shooting him wary and fearful looks. Rika's mother, who owned the restaurant, quickly got to work in preparing his meal, hoping to appease him so that he would leave her family alone. "What's taking so long? Hurry up!" He petulantly demanded.

As he sat there like some faux king, swirling his glass of wine, he nonchalantly threw out some provoking words.

"Oh, that's right. Since I'm tired of waiting, I've decided to execute Kuina tomorrow. Look forward to it everyone. "He finished with that annoying laugh of his.

His gloating was cute prematurely though when an overwhelming sense of bloodlust filled the restaurant. The murderous intent shook the very core of those regular citizens and even the Marines were barely holding themselves together. There was also a conspicuous wet spot that appeared on Helmeppo's trousers. Suddenly, as quickly as it came, it vanished. As Coby looked around the restaurant, he noticed that Luffy was missing as well.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Luffy had to work hard to keep himself from lashing out at that idiot. This further drove home the nature of some of the scum that populated the Marines, hiding behind their 'Absolute Justice' to commit atrocities.

He quickly scaled the wall of the base and found himself in front of Kuina once again. She looked up at him in confusion, wondering why he's back so quickly. There was something in his demeanor though that set alarm bells ringing in her head. His posture was tight, as if coiled, waiting to strike.

"You again?"

"I'm here to free you." Luffy said.

"No! I have 10 more days to go and I'm not about to let you ruin the work I've done. I'm almost there." She argued back. Luffy just looked at her and shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry to say that you aren't going to last that long. The egg-headed one, I believe his name is Helmeppo, just announced, quite publicly I might add, that you are going to be executed tomorrow." He told her.

Kuina had a look of shock and anger on her face. She couldn't believe it. For twenty days she endured the hunger and abuse hurled her way from these damn Marines, only to find out that they were never planning on seeing out their end of the bargain. It made her a little sick to her stomach to see how naïve she had been in believing in their word. She looked up to the man, at a loss at what to do. He said he was going to free her, but he was a pirate. She would be labelled an outlaw if she accepted his help. But what other choice does she have. As she was in the middle of her dilemma, the voice of the man sounded out once again.

"Tell me, Kimishima Kuina, what is your ambition?" He asked, getting a wide eyed look from the girl. He just smiled at her in response. "I can see it in your eyes. The thirst, the hunger to prove yourself. You have the eyes of someone with a weighty ambition. I know, because I see those eyes whenever I look into the mirror every morning. So tell me, 'Pirate Huntress', what is your greatest desire? What motivates you to swing that sword of yours? What is your dream?"

Luffy pierced her with an intense stare, one that she readily returned without flinching. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as these two stared each other down. Neither blinked. There was absolute silence. It was broken when Kuina moved her lips.

"A promise. Not only to a late friend, but also to myself. My name would be heard throughout the world. I will stand at the top. I will become the greatest swordswoman in the world." She declared with the utmost conviction. She didn't even sound doubtful. She said it like it was an undisputable fact, already carved in stone.

Luffy, felt the smile on his face stretch from cheek to cheek at her declaration. Before he knew it, he threw his head back and let out an uproarious laugh in response.

Kuina felt her face grow red in anger and humiliation at his response. It wasn't the first time this happened. Whenever she stated her dream, people would laugh at her. They would scoff and say that a woman could never achieve that position. Even her father, even though she loved the guy, he gently told her that as she grew older, she would be unable to withstand the blows of her male counterparts, no matter how skilled she was. He tried to be kind about it, but it only served to infuriate her, which is why she took her sword and left. Journeying around East Blue, defeating anyone in her path. She would prove them all wrong. She would achieve her goal it was the last thing she did. She was about to tear into the guy who dared laugh at her dream before he stopped suddenly to address her.

"Forgive me for that but I couldn't help myself. I didn't think I'd come across someone like you in this part of the world. You and I aren't that different, Kimishima Kuina." He said to her earnestly. While her anger was still there, she was now a bit confused as to what he meant. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I'm the man who will become Pirate King!" He declared, causing her gape at his bold proclamation. He wasn't done though. "I've already decided. I want you in my pirate crew Kuina. We both have crazy dreams, but that's what makes it fun. And as the future Pirate King, if my first mate didn't at least become the greatest swordswoman in the world, I would be highly embarrassed." He finished with a smirk in her direction.

Kuina's eyes widened in shock at his words. Her stomach started to flutter and her heart started to beat loudly in anticipation. She realized, he wasn't laughing at her in contempt. He was laughing in happiness at finding someone he could relate to. But most importantly, for the first time in her life, Kuina's dream was acknowledged by someone. She finally recognized that look in his eyes, it was one of approval and acknowledgement. For Kuina, who went her whole life with people telling her that she would never be able to accomplish her dream, his endorsement of her ambition and the fact that he unequivocally seemed to believe that she could accomplish it, was like a shot of adrenaline to her veins. She felt a smile bloom across her face, this was something that she never thought she would find.

"Regardless of what happens from now, you will be marked as an outlaw by these worthless Marines. Going against them in any way, even if you are in the right will see to that. I don't really care much about that, and I can tell that you're a woman who doesn't care much about what others think of her. So I will ask you again, Kimishima Kuina, what will you do? There's only one path left and it's straight to the top. Come with me and we will turn this world on its head." Luffy declared with a smirk of anticipation on his face as he held his hand out to her.

"That doesn't leave me with much choice now does it? You must be the son of a demon." She said ruefully, but there was no heat in her words as she grinned up at him. She already made up her mind a while ago. There was something different about this man. Something that called out to her. The fact that he believed in her also played a large part of it. The absolute confidence she saw in his eyes, at himself, at accomplishing his dream and directed towards her made her tremble with excitement and anticipation. "You're right, I don't care if it's as a demon or a pirate. My name will be heard throughout the world and if you ever do anything to impede that, I will have you apologise to me at the end of my sword." She declared, although it was obvious to the both of them that she said it just for the sake of the moment. They both knew in their hearts that it would never happen. It was the extent to which they seemed to 'click' with each other. There was no turning back for her now, not that she would anyway. She would follow this man to their rightful places, at the summit of the world. "So what's our next move, senchō?" She questioned causing Luffy's smirk to turn into a smile of happiness at recruiting his first nakama. And what a recruit it was.

"Well, I can't have my swordswoman walk around without a sword. Do you have any idea where yours is?" He inquired. She felt a little shiver go down her spine at the way he said 'my swordswoman'. The rightness of that statement was something she couldn't explain.

"Probably in the room of that weirdo, Helmeppo." She answered.

Luffy nodded in response before taking in the direction of the base. Kuina looked incredulously at his back, about to call out to him to at least free her before taking off, before remembering what he said when they first met. He trusted her to have the strength to free herself, something that made her smile. She didn't want to prove her captain a liar and promptly exerted her strength, causing the flimsy ropes around her to groan in protest before snapping. She got to her feet and took the time to stretch her body and work out the kinks from being in the same position for almost twenty days. There was nothing left to do but wait for her captain to return with her sword.

Luffy expertly infiltrated the base, using his considerable skills in stealth to get in silently. He saw that most of the base was unguarded. He felt a lot of people congregated at the top of the base. He didn't want to look a horse in the mouth though and took off in the direction of the only other person in the base. He recognized the signature immediately and was going to enjoy caving his face in. He came to the stop in front of a bright pink door with flowers and butterflies decorating it along with a nameplate that read 'Helmeppo'. He almost gagged at the extent of that guy's creepiness.

He kicked the door in without haste.

"Knock knock motherfucker!" He called out, mentally giggling to himself. He's always wanted to do that. It was something he read in one of his favourite adventure books.

Helmeppo looked like a deer caught in headlights at the intrusion. Because of who his father is, nobody ever bothered him in any way. He lived a pampered life with no consequences.

"Who the hell are you?! Do you know who my daddy is?! I will have you-"

His tirade was cut off as Luffy appeared before him and delivered a swift kick to the balls, causing Helmeppo's eyes to bug out of their sockets and his mouth to open in a silent scream. Luffy then grabbed him by the hair and brought him face to face. Helmeppo would swear to anyone that listened, that he was staring into the eyes of a demon. He knew that he was definitely going to need a change of underwear.

"I was going to ask you where you left Kuina's sword, but I can see it in the corner of your stupidly girly room. I would suggest you get a hobby…and maybe a testosterone patch as well." Luffy said before delivering a brutal head-butt. The crunch of Helmeppo's now broken nose echoed throughout the room. Luffy dropped the dead-weight before walking over to the sword leaning against the wall.

He recognized it immediately. It was had a white sheath and handle with a gold oval guard along with a grey diamond pattern doing down on either side of the handle. It was one of the Legendary Owaza-Mono 21. Wadou Ichimonji. He just smirked at how fitting the weapon seemed to be for his first mate. A pure white katana to offset his black one. He grabbed the sword and made his way out of the room.

He wasn't quite done though. He also took some of the ridiculously cutesy stuffed animals that Helmeppo kept in his room, goodness knows for what, along with a tiara. He quickly made his way to Captain Morgan's room. After breaking in, he used a static bolt to override the lock on the safe located under a hideously obnoxious painting of Morgan, before stuffing all the money he could fit into his chest. He also snatched up the latest batch of wanted posters. His final act was to strategically plant those stuffed animals and tiara into his safe along with an I.O.U note that depicted a middle finger. He laughed at his handiwork before taking off. He felt the people on the roof beginning to panic before making their way to the courtyard. Looks like Kuina was discovered. Oh well, it wasn't like she was trying to hide or something. He swiftly made his way to Kuina before she got turned into Swiss cheese.

He came out just in time to see a row of Marines pointing their rifles at his nakama, with that imbecile, Morgan standing behind them directing traffic. Luffy wasn't going to be having any of that though.

" **Rankyaku"**

He called out whilst rapidly sending a kick to the empty space between the Marines and Kuina. A sharp wind blade cut through the air, digging a shallow trench in the ground. The Marines and Kuina alike stopped to gape at the inhuman feat.

"I don't appreciate you pointing those dangerous weapons at my friend. If you value your life, you will not cross that line." Luffy warned, causing the Marines to gulp in fear, clearly intimidated him.

Kuina just looked at him with a little awe, still trying to figure out how he did what he just did. She snapped out of her daze though when he handed over her precious sword. She took a moment to enjoy the way if filled her hands. It was like reuniting with an old friend.

"Another traitor! I'm surrounded by insolence! Kill these two worms! I will not have anybody daring to defy my greatness!" Roared out the supposedly infamous Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan.

Luffy just looked at him with a deadpan stare. He wasn't impressed at all. The standards in the Marines were really dropping of any idiot like this guy could make Captain. He was just a bulk of useless muscles. Not even worth Luffy wasting another breath on.

"Well first mate Kuina, it's your time to shine." Luffy stated with a look of anticipation in his eyes. Kuina noticed the look and realized that her captain wanted to see her in action. From his posture, it was clear that he wasn't even expecting to intervene. It was a little thrilling to see the complete confidence he had in her.

"Hai, senchō." She replied, before rapidly crossing the space between her and the Marines, quickly getting into the guard of the one closest to her before delivering a slash to his chest. It wasn't fatal, but it certainly hurt like a bitch. He would need medical attention soon. The others, seeing one of their own get taken down, promptly charged her. It was to no avail though as she skillfully danced around their attempts to strike her. Her nimble footwork and superb reflexes kept her completely out of their reach, which she capitalized on by delivering swift and precise strikes with her sword to their unguarded bodies. Little by little, the large group of Marines started falling like flies, clearly completely out of their depth in terms of skill and intelligence as compared to Kuina, who was covered in quite a bit of blood from the numerous slash wounds she delivered to her enemies.

Many of the Marines watching on started to tremble in fear, finally understanding the fearsome reputation the woman garnered was no fluke. She was an absolute beast in battle. Fear started to override their bodies as they backed away from the scene.

"What are you worthless ingrates doing?! Its only one woman! Are you so weak that you can't kill someone so pathetic?!" Morgan roared out in anger at him men. Kuina glared in his direction at his sexist remark while Luffy just laughed in amusement.

"Ha! Even starved and barely rested, my swordswoman is too awesome for an entire Marine base to handle!" He cheered out, causing Kuina to preen at the comment. The belief and trust he had in her skills was absolutely intoxicating to Kuina. She reveled under the praise and acknowledgement of this man that she barely even met, but she didn't care. It somehow just felt right to her.

"C-captain Morgan sir, w-we can't…she's too strong for us." One of the nondescript Marines managed to stutter out. His fear of the blood-soaked Kuina eclipsing that of his fear of Morgan. Many of the soldiers around him were nodding their heads in agreement.

Morgan, upon hearing this went silent. There was a vein visible on his forehead that was throbbing wildly. His grotesque physique bulged out and his eyes were bloodshot in utter fury.

"Those weaklings who think that, put your pistols to your heads and pull the trigger right now! I am the highest ranking officer in this base, therefore everything I say is right. I am great! I will not have insubordination in my base! If I tell you to kill this pathetic woman, you will do so even if you have to die trying!" Morgan bellowed out in rage, spittle escaping his mouth. He looked the picture of a mad dog at the moment.

Luffy looked on dispassionately, and Kuina in shock, as the Marines actually made to follow his order and put their pistols to their heads. Most of them were in tears, but they didn't stop.

Luffy just shook his head at the sheer idiocy that he was seeing. This is why he couldn't stand the Marines. Though he had no obligation to save these spineless maggots, he wasn't going to give Morgan the satisfaction that came with his, probably final, orders being obeyed. His distinctive purple eyes glowed slightly before his pupil shrank slightly, suddenly an invisible shockwave passed through the courtyard. The soldiers, Morgan and Kuina felt it on their very skin. The feeling of oppression, the unexplainable sense to get on their knees in obedience. It was an aura of pure dominance washing over them.

Suddenly, as quick as it appeared, it was gone. Not without consequence though. Every Marine in that courtyard that wasn't Morgan fell over in blissful unconsciousness, some foaming at the mouth. Morgan's eyes were bulging comically at the sight. His mind couldn't comprehend what he was seeing at all.

Kuina wasn't faring much better. It was such a mystical thing to experience. The only people left standing was herself, Morgan and her captain Luffy. It clearly wasn't Morgan that caused this, so it logically meant that Luffy had something to do with that monstrous presence. She looked back to him, causing him to look in her direction to send her a cheeky wink. She was absolutely floored. Her captain clearly had more to him than meets the eyes. This only proved that she made the right decision in following this man.

"Well, now that the fodder are out the way, I believe that the illustrious Captain Morgan here doesn't believe that he can be bested by a woman." Luffy commented, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He then turned to Kuina with a genuine smile on his face. "Kuina, this man is a weakling who hides behind his men and his position. He isn't even worthy of breathing the same air as you. Trash like him should be groveling at your feet instead. This will be my first order as captain. Please educate the dear Captain Morgan here about the hierarchy of the world and show him his rightful place." Luffy ordered with a dark smirk on his face.

The vicious grin that spread across Kuina's face sent a shiver of fear racing through Morgan's spine.

Kuina felt her blood boil at her captain's words. Her insane bloodlust skyrocketed, as she tensed in anticipation. She felt absolutely giddy. It was like the shackles came off her and she didn't have to hold back any longer. She never felt this free before. She would do her best to not make a liar out of her captain.

"Hai! Senchō!" She affirmed before taking her stance.

In that time, Morgan seemed to regain his bluster.

"I will make you insects regret ever hearing the name captain Morgan! You see this axe-hand, it was thanks to this hand that I rose in the ranks. I will use it to spill your blood all over this base you worthless woman!" Morgan screamed out before charging at Kuina like a wild bull.

Kuina just let out a breath and relaxed slightly. Her captain had complete confidence in her and she wasn't going to make him regret that. She refused to lose to a low-life like Morgan. As he closed in on her, she used her more agile body to twist out of the trajectory of his axe swing before her blade sung through the air, leaving a vicious cut on Morgan's left flank, causing his blood to spray out and him screaming in agony. The precision of her cut made it so that she cut just deep to nick the vessel. It would cause him immense pain the longer it went untreated but it wouldn't cause death.

Morgan pushed passed the agonizing pain and spun around, attempting to decapitate Kuina with his axe. She anticipated this though, not to mention he was moving at a snail's pace, and crouched low, allowing the axe-hand to pass over head before springing back up and using her momentum to deliver a brutal slash right up his chest with an uppercut like motion.

Morgan wailed in agony at the sensations he was experiencing. It was clear to Luffy and Kuina that for all his bluster, Morgan didn't really have a high pain tolerance. It was disappointing for Kuina, who was expecting a fight, but instead this buffoon had absolutely no skill whatsoever.

In a last charge, probably his huge ego overriding his self-preservation instincts, Morgan made a full on charge at Kuina once again putting his full weight behind the swing of his axe.

Kuina had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at this idiot and once again sidestepped his charge, causing him to stumble past her and embedding his axe hand into the ground. Kuina, seeing an opportunity, stamped on the back end of the axe causing it to sink further into the ground before stomping on Morgan's forearm, braking not only the support he used to keep his axe attached to his arm but also the bones in his arm.

Morgan pulled his arm back, leaving the axe still embedded in the ground, screaming in pure agony. Kuina wasn't in the mood for mercy though and sprung forward before delivering a multitude of deep cuts to his torso and face in the span of a few seconds. Morgan had no choice but to slump over, his body shutting down from the amount of pain he was forced to endure.

Kuina was breathing a little heavy, tired from exerting herself after having been starved for twenty days. She looked behind her towards her captain and absolutely drank in the look of pride he had on his face. Like he never expected any other outcome. She felt a happy smile come to her face before slumping down. Before she hit the ground though, she felt the strong arms of her captain hold her up, giving her a grin in congratulations, not at all minding all the blood on her clothes.

"You must me starving. Let's get you some food. I know there's an excited little girl waiting to see you." He said, making her smile go wider.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

We currently find Luffy at the dock, loading provisions onto his boat in anticipation of setting sail. After Kuina defeated Morgan, she absolutely gorged herself on the delicious food made by Rika's mother. She apologized between bites but nobody held it against her as she was starving. After having at least five helpings, she declared that she needed a shower and some new clothes. Luffy handed her a stack of beli, as much as she tried to protest against it, to get her stocked up on clothes and whatever other necessities she needed.

Luffy was joined by Coby, who was excitedly telling him that he was accepted into the Marines immediately due to the current shortage that they were facing. Apparently Commander Ripper decided not to take action against Kuina for her actions although he did warn her that it was probably a good idea to get off the island as soon as possible. It was fortunate for Luffy that nobody, with the exception of Coby, even knew that they were pirates.

Luffy was brought out of his musing by the sharp intake of breath and the sound of a body hitting the floor coming from beside him. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that Coby had fainted. As he turned around, he fully understood why the boy reacted in such a way.

Standing before him was a cleaned up Kuina. Now that the dirt and grime wasn't marring her, you could see the beautiful milky complexion that she had. Her midnight blue hair was in an elegant braid that was worn over her left shoulder. She wasn't slouching in hunger either and stood at an impressive 5 ft 9 inches. Her clothes were very different as well. Choosing to go a more traditional route in terms of a sleeveless black battle kimono with purple accents at the bottom that reached mid-thigh. There was also a design of a red moon on the right bicep, the same as the one on Luffy's coat. It had a plunging neckline, leaving her generous cleavage on display. She had on tight black shorts to preserve her modesty along with black high heeled boots that stopped just below her kimono. She had a bracelet on her right wrist as well as blue teardrop earrings on both ears.

All in all, coupled with the sheathed sword in her hand, she looked every bit the femme-fatal. Sexy and dangerous.

"Well, you certainly clean up good Kuina. You look amazing. Not to mention dangerous. I like it." Luffy stated with a cheesy thumbs up in her direction causing her to release a melodic laugh. She was glad to see her captain wasn't some pervert, evidenced by the fact that there was no lust in his eyes, just pure admiration.

"Thank you senchō. So where are we headed to next?" She questioned as she climbed onto the boat.

"Well, I heard Buggy the Clown was spotted in Orange Town, not too far from here. He has a bounty of about 15 million beli. The fourth highest bounty currently in East Blue. Since we aren't officially pirates, there's nothing stopping us from turning that bounty in and earning some start-up capital for our future exploits. Not to mention it would serve as great training. Hopefully we can come across some other exceptional people for us to recruit. There's no going back no Kuina. Are you ready to take this world by storm?" Luffy question mischievously. Kuina just grinned back in response.

"I don't regret it at all senchō. I will follow you wherever you go." She replied earnestly, getting Luffy to smile genuinely at her.

"The world awaits us Kuina. Let's set sail!" He declared before letting the currents guide them off into the sunset, completely forgetting about Coby who was still twitching on the ground with a trail of blood flowing down his nose.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _ **Phew, chapter one done. It was a bit longer than I anticipated. I just kept writing. Anyway I hope you liked the little background I provided about Luffys life so far. There will be a lot more in-depth flashback as the story goes on. We have Alvida and Morgan out of the way. I'm going to try and do two mini-arcs per chapter. Like I'm sure many other authors feel, I just want to get out of East Blue. I won't rush it too much though, and hopefully build the characters up as well as their relationships.**_

 _ **I hoped you like what I did with Kuina. The bit with her father telling her she wouldn't be as strong as boys when she gets older is actually canon. So I used that as the starting point of her personality. She doesn't actually have a last name so I gave her the name 'Kimishima' which can translate to mean 'noble'. She is someone who is tired of being looked down upon and is determined to reach her dreams. She latched onto Luffy as the first person to acknowledge her. It will serve as the foundation of the immense trust and loyalty that they will have in one another.**_

 _ **[In response to the review from Reaker: I agree that it was kind of a stretch with his mother leaving him those things, but I didn't want him to be trained by Garp or Shanks, which is usually how these stories go for Luffy to get strong or know Haki. I didn't like it either but I used it anyway, knowing that some people won't like it. I agree about the point about One Piece being good at not throwing out too much info too quickly. Unfortunately, I'm an amateur compared to the great and powerful Oda-sensei. I don't have the talent to keep that much suspense of foreshadowing. Anyway thanks for your review and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story.]**_

 _ **With regard to Luffy being OP…I want to address this before anyone gets carried away. Yes he has an awesome devil fruit, he knows haki and rokushiki. But he isn't some master. You have to remember that his haki is entirely self-taught. So while he can use it, he won't be as proficient as some of the others out there. Same with the Rokushiki. He only knows the three leg based moves. Additionally, he has no actual battle experience against real tough opponents. All he's been facing so far are fodder. On the Grand Line he will really be tested. It won't be as one sided as it is in East Blue especially against guys like Crocodile and Rob Lucci. He will have to work for his victories. So while I did say he was OP…you have to remember that everyone and their grandfathers (hehe) are OP in this series. He will get better and more proficient in his abilities the more the story goes on. But against guys like Shanks, Rayleigh, Garp or even the admirals…her would get stomped into a mudhole.**_

 _ **I plan on giving the entire crew bounties before the Grand Line, because why not? I'm looking for cool epithets for them. So far you guys know Luffy and Kuina are in the crew. If you can think of cool names, please send them through. I have preliminary names for all of them so far but I want to see what you guys come up with before I go with it.**_

 _ **Next chapter will be the big, fat, red nosed guy. After stomping them about, the second half will probably about the third member who will be the navigator (not Nami). I already have a bit of a backstory in mind for her, but please forgive me if it isn't as tragic or gripping as you might expect. Anyway, thanks for reading….Lionheart021 out!**_


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: As much as I wish it, I do not own One Piece…It belongs to that glorious bastard Eiichiro Oda

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 2: The Hunt is on…**

There was a soft breeze in the air as Luffy and his newly recruited first mate Kuina, ambled along the ocean on their quaint little boat. They were on course to reach Orange Town in a few hours as it wasn't that far out from Shells Town. There was a comfortable silence between the new crewmates as they enjoyed the tranquillity. It remained that way until Kuina asked about something that had been on her mind for some time now.

"Senchō, if you would forgive my rudeness, could I perhaps have a look at your sword?" She questioned politely. In return she got an intense stare from Luffy that made her almost squirm in response before it melted away to his usual carefree expression.

"Kuina, you don't have to be so overly formal all the time. We're friends now, nakama even. I won't bite your head off if you ask me something." Luffy said with a gentle smile on his face, causing an equally soft and meaningful smile to break out on her face. She was happy that her captain was such an agreeable man. Just more evidence that she made the right decision, not that she ever doubted it.

Luffy handed over the sword to her. She took the time to inspect the sheath and handle before unsheathing the sword, looking closely at the design of the blade and the sharp edge it possessed. She was visibly impressed.

"It's a beautiful sword." She commented, still entranced by the blade.

"Thank you. It's a Meitou, just like your Wadou Ichimonji. Her name is Mugetsu. She is an irreplaceable treasure to me. She belonged to my mother, who I've heard was quite the beast with it in hand." Luffy replied with a serene smile on his face. He always got this way when talking about his mother and was happy to be able to share this little titbit with someone else. Kuina, sensing the sombre mood, was sensitive enough to understand that Luffy's mother was no longer amongst the living. In an attempt to change the topic, she questioned him once again.

"Are you any good with it?"

Her response was a happy laugh from her captain.

"I'd like to think I'm not too bad wielding it, but compared to you I'm an absolute novice. Everything I know about wielding a sword is entirely self-taught. So you can understand that I'm nowhere near close to being as skilled as you are." He stated with a little self-deprecating smirk directed at himself.

Kuina was once again bombarded by the giddy feeling that accompanied her captain praising her. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to it. Not that she was complaining. She absolutely loved the feeling.

"If you'd like, I can teach you a how to properly wield it." Kuina suggested shyly. Luffy's face lit up at the suggestion.

"Really?! Shishishi…then I'll be in your care, Kuina-sensei." He replied cheekily, causing her to laugh at his antics. "But that will have to wait until we get a bigger ship."

"U-um…senchō…back at the Marine base, when those men were about to shoot themselves, there was this…I guess the best way to describe it was a 'presence' that erupted around us that knocked them out. Were you responsible for that?"

Luffy became a lot more serious at her question.

"Yes I was. What I used there was ability that most outside the second half of the Grand Line don't even know about. When we gather up the adequate number of crew members, before we set sail to the Grand Line, I will explain it to you all in detail as it's quite a lengthy one and I don't want to have to do it more than once." Luffy answered, which quelled Kuina's curiosity for the time being. She trusted her captain and would wait until he was ready to fully explain his mystical abilities.

The rest of the time was spent making small talk as they casually sailed along. Learning about each other's likes and dislikes, pet peeves as well as some their pasts. It was a bonding experience, one that they both enjoyed greatly, finding kindred spirits in each other. The time seemed to fly by as they were already nearing Orange Town. They could already see the outline of the island. They were a bit on guard though as they saw smoke rising from the middle of the city.

BOOM

A thunderous explosion rocked the island, causing another area to emit smoke.

Luffy and Kuina stood in their boat, taking stock of the situation as they surveyed the approaching island. Clearly there was something going on, and it didn't look to be a good thing. Luffy could sense quite a bit of signatures congregated in the middle of the island, but other than that, the place was a ghost town.

As they approached the shore, they were met with the sight of a pirate ship. They knew this thanks to the ostentatious Jolly Roger painted on the sails of the ship. They both recognised it immediately as the one belonging to Buggy the Clown.

Luffy and Kuina broke out into equally terrifying grins, both filled with bloodlust, at their good luck. They ran into just the guy they were looking for and he was a sitting duck in the middle of this town.

After tying their boat to the docks, they made their way into town. It was a little disconcerting how empty the place truly was. It seemed that the residents abandoned the town as soon as Buggy and his crew set up shop.

Their quiet walk was interrupted by and attractive orange haired girl running towards them. Luffy recognised her immediately as the girl from the party on the passenger ship that Alvida attacked. She clearly wasn't some high-class socialite, as Luffy correctly guessed before. He didn't like the gleam that appeared in her eyes when she spotted them.

"Boss! There you are! I got the map just like you asked me to. But these guys are on my tail. Please take care of them for me." She called out to him, never stopping her stride as she disappeared around a corner. Luffy just turned to look at Kuina with a disbelieving look. Kuina had a look of anger come across her face at the nerve of that little coward.

The three men that were chasing her immediately came to a halt in from of Luffy and Kuina.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot. That bitch stole our map but now we have her boss. We can use him as leverage to get back our stuff. Not to mention he has a smoking hot babe with him. I'm sure she can entertain our boys for a few days." One of the men leered with a lustful glint in his eyes as he stared at Kuina.

Said swordswoman felt herself shiver in disgust at the close proximity to these Neanderthals. She wasn't afraid of their threats as she knew she could wipe the floor with them in her sleep. She made to draw Wadou but was stopped when her captain put his hand on hers.

"Don't taint your blade with the blood of such trash. They aren't worth it." He said before directing his attention towards the men, sending them a bone chilling glare. "I don't appreciate you leering at my friend. I will give you one chance to apologise and repent."

It wasn't phrased as a suggestion, but an order. Something that only Kuina realised as the three stooges were clearly too stupid to recognise the danger they were in and instead threw out their false bravado.

"Heh, what's wrong pretty boy. You think you can take us all on. Don't worry, if you're a good boy, we'll let you have a turn with-"

That's was as far as he got as Luffy blurred from his spot before appearing in front of the loudmouth and caving his chest in with a vicious punch. The grunt was left to choke on his own blood as he went down like a ton of bricks. The other two were still in a state of confusion, their eyes not catching up with what was happening. They didn't have time to either as Luffy appeared in front of the second grunt before delivering a rising kick that connected with the bottom of his jaw, causing the man to bite through his tongue. He couldn't even scream out in agony as blood filled his mouth rapidly. The final grunt was finally beginning to comprehend what was happening. But before he could take action, Luffy appeared behind him, hooking his right arm around his neck before pulling him backwards over his back, snapping the man's spine.

The entire ordeal lasted less than six seconds before Luffy appeared at his original position next to Kuina, whose sharp eyes managed to track the entire thing even though all she could see was a blur. She watched on dispassionately as the men writhed in agony at the brutal beat down her captain delivered. She wasn't the least bit disturbed by the casual display of violence as she herself has administered such beatings before. One didn't become as renowned as she was in her line of work by keeping her hands clean after all. She was a little touched though, that her captain was upset on her behalf at the crude comments these worms directed at her.

After smiling and nodding to each other, they continued their march to the middle of town but stopped when they heard a voice call out.

"Incredible! You're strong, aren't you? You won bare handed against those guys who were armed to the teeth." The orange haired girl from before stated with a fake smile on her face. Luffy could almost smell the fear that was radiating off her. She clearly understood that she bit off more than she could chew and was probably trying to ingratiate herself to him. "I'm Nami, a thief that robs pirates. Hey, why don't you join me.?" She asked.

"Sorry, not interested." Luffy replied with a flat stare before walking away, causing her to flush in embarrassment.

"Wa…Wait! Why not?" She questioned with what she thought was an adorable put on her face. She had charmed and seduced many men with that look before robbing them blind. Luffy however didn't even budge his expression. He just looked at her like he was looking at a common insect, something that made her skin crawl.

"Tell me something, Nami the thief…Do you know who I am?" He inquired. Said girl shook her head negatively. "What about my companion?" He received the same reply. "So you have never met us before yet you saw fit to put us in the line of fire against those armed pirates. Luckily, my friend and I could take out guys like that in our sleep. But if we were just a regular pair of travellers, I would have likely been killed and my partner would have been captured and most probably raped. Because you thought it was a good idea to allow us to take the fall for your thievery. I'm no saint myself, but I would never involve innocent bystanders in my endeavours, especially if it could bring them harm. From your casual demeanour, I can tell this isn't the first time you've done something like this. Therefore, I don't want to be associated with the kind of person who can do something like that and laugh it off afterwards. My friend and I are in a hurry. I would say it was nice it meet you but that would be a lie. Goodbye, Nami the pirate thief." Luffy finished before walking off with Kuina right beside him, her head held high at the words of her captain. He kept finding new ways to impress her.

Nami was left to look at his back as he walked away, a profound sense of loss filling her. His words cut her deep and hurt a lot more than she thought it would. She realised that he was right, she did endanger innocent civilians. After a minute or so of self-loathing, she snapped out of her funk. Maybe that was true, but she had a mission to complete. She couldn't stop now that she was this close. She could beg for forgiveness to whatever deities where out there after she frees her village. For now though, she needed to get moving.

Luffy came to a stop in the town square, Kuina right beside him. He could sense the large congregation of people in the restaurant a few floors above them. He knew this was where the Buggy pirates were. He looked to Kuina and nodded, getting one back in reply, clearly understanding what he meant. It was time to get the show on the road.

"Oi! BIG, FAT, RED NOSE! Get out here!" Luffy yelled out after cupping his mouth. Kuina face palmed beside him, but if you looked closely you would see the amused smirk on her face.

"What did you say you flashy bastard!" Screamed a nasally voice from the balcony of the restaurant. Out came one of the strangest people Luffy and Kuina have ever seen.

He wore a short sleeved shirt with red and white horizontal stripes coupled with pale green trousers and a green sash around his waist as well as curly toed shoes on his feet. He wore a captain's hat, a red scarf around his neck as well as a captain's coat with white fur lining. The weirdest part about him though was his face. He had on make-up giving him the look of a clown, literally, as well as a big, red nose.

It was hard to take the guy seriously with the way he looked, but they didn't want to take any chances with this guy.

"I said…I'm looking for a guy with a big, fat, red nose. But it looks like I found him." Luffy replied.

The scowl on Buggy's face could be the stuff of kids' nightmares if they ever saw it. He had the whole 'killer clown' vibe going for him. Unfortunately, he also seemed like a real doofus.

"Who are you calling big nose, you asshole! Men! Prepare the Buggy Ball. Our guests need to learn a lesson in respecting their superiors." Buggy ordered.

His crew got to work in pointing a huge canon in the direction of Luffy and Kuina, who didn't look the least bit perturbed. In fact, they looked a little bored. As evidenced by the yawn Luffy emitted, which he soon apologised to Kuina for showing poor manners. She forgave him though, stating that she was also struggling to stay awake.

Buggy was becoming more and more infuriated at the nonchalant way they were treating him and his crew. They clearly didn't see him as a treat. He would show them why they should be afraid.

"Buggy-senchō, it's ready!" One of Buggy crew yelled out.

"Excellent! You will learn to fear the name Buggy! Flashily blow these bastards away!" He ordered.

"Oh, looks like they're finally done senchō." Kuina commented blandly.

"Huh? Finally, I thought I was going to die of boredom." Luffy replied.

BANG

Any reply from Kuina was cut off by the shot of a cannon, right in their direction. Neither looked too worried though. Luffy stepped forward and lazily lifted an open palm towards the oncoming projectile. He dug his heels in and to the shock of the Buggy Pirates, he caught their infamous Buggy ball like a tennis ball. Using the momentum, he allowed his hand to be wound back.

"I believe this belongs to you." He stated before launching the cannon ball right back at the pirates.

They all panicked like headless chickens, screaming for their lives. They didn't have that much time though as the Buggy ball reached them and exploded with concussive force. The entire deck of the restaurant was in shambles.

Luffy and Kuina patiently waited for the smoke to clear. Hoping that they didn't do too much damage as they were both itching for a fight…crazy battle maniacs.

As the dust settled, it was revealed that almost the entire crew was taken out. Which wasn't surprising as they were basically grunts. The only ones left standing were Buggy himself who used two random crew members as a meat shield, his first mate Mohji who survived thanks to his pet lion, Ritchie, shielding him from the blast, as well as his chief of staff Cabaji who did the same as his captain.

"Captain." Cabaji called out.

"Ohh, Cabaji. I can't supress my anger any longer." Buggy replied to the unasked question.

"Arara…It looks like they're about to go into a cliché villain monologue. We don't really have time for any of that. I'll take big nose, you handle the furry one and the flaming fruit with the unicycle. Neither are a match for your skills, so clean them up good." Luffy ordered, getting a chuckle out of Kuina before she gave an affirmative and took off in the direction of Cabaji and Mohji, trusting her captain's evaluation of the situation.

She came to a stop in front of the two senior members of the Buggy pirates and slowly unsheathed her sword, making it clear that she was here to take them out.

The flamboyant one on the unicycle, Cabaji, was about to open his mouth for what was probably some pre-fight trash talking, but Kuina wasn't in the mood to entertain these clowns. She sped forward, her sword gleaming in the sunlight flashed forward with frightening speed towards Cabaji. It was only through luck that he managed to jump backwards, but it wasn't enough to spare him an injury as a shallow cut opened up on his torso. Seeing his crewmate in danger, Mohji moved to intercept Kuina only to get a face full of her boot, the high heel digging painfully into his cheek drawing blood. Kuina pulled her leg back before sliding forward and lodging her elbow in his throat, cutting off his oxygen, causing him to clutch his neck for breath. She spotted Cabaji moving towards her again, so she put one foot forward and used it as a fulcrum to deliver a roundhouse kick towards him which he dodged once again by skipping back but was caught by Kuina who use the momentum of her spin to bring her sword forward and deliver a vicious cut across his chest.

Cabaji cried out in pain at the damage that was done to him. Kuina didn't dwell on him too long though, knowing that she needed to take out at least one of them fast before focusing all her attention on the other. Seeing Mohji still struggling for breath, she decided he would go first as without that giant lion he was completely useless. As he was kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath, she delivered an axe kick to the back of his head, causing it to bounce off the ground. She wasn't done though as she skilfully slashed the back of his knees, severing the tendons, making sure that if he did regain consciousness, he wouldn't be walking anytime soon.

She sensed an attack from her left flack and back flipped away just in time to see a fireball pass through the space she was occupying. She raised an eyebrow in interest after seeing the fireball. Maybe this insect wasn't as useless as she assumed.

Cabaji drew his sabre and charged as Kuina, still riding his unicycle, making her sweat-drop at the silliness of it all. His mobility was greatly diminished by being in that unicycle yet he still didn't get off it. She mentally shrugged before engaging him in a sword battle. His attacks were quite easy to anticipate to her experienced eyes and he didn't have much room to manoeuvre in. She blocked and parried all of his strikes with relative ease, making him quite upset. He disengaged her before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few spinning tops.

" **Acrobatic Special: Hundred Spin tops Wind Attack!"**

He announced his attack before launching a multitude of tops in her direction, which only served to irritate her further with his ridiculous antics instead of fighting seriously. She danced through the barrage, her sword flashing every now and then. When the attack was done, every top throw in her direction was lying on the floor, split directly in half.

She didn't afford him the time to comprehend what just happened as she took off in a full sprint in his direction. Her eyes sharpened and her body tensed. She closed the gap between in a matter of seconds before her sword up, perpendicular to the ground.

" **Ittouryuu: Daishinkan!"**

Kuina called out before bringing her sword down and gliding past him to land in a crouch.

Cabaji didn't feel anything for a moment and was about to turn to press an attack, before his entire front side erupted in a geyser of blood. He let out a cry of pain before passing out face first in a puddle of his own blood.

Kuina regally got to her feet before flicking the excess blood off her sword and sheathing it at her side, making sure her sword was secured by the sash around her waist.

"CABA-CHAN!" Buggy cry rang out as he saw his chief of staff taken down so easily.

 _Earlier on:_

"You have some nerve coming her and interrupting my party, boy. Who the hell are you?" Buggy demanded.

"Normally I wouldn't bother telling my name to someone as insignificant as you, but I'm in a giving mood today. My name is Monkey D. Luffy. The man who will be Pirate King." He announced, simply oozing confidence. Buggy looked at him in disbelief before he burst out laughing. Luffy did nothing to stop him, just looking at him with an amused smile on his face, like one would wear when watching their favourite animal in the zoo or in this case, favourite clown in the circus.

"That was funny kid. For making me laugh so hard I might just give you a painless death." Buggy said to him in a patronising manner. "But still, you're a pirate huh…what business do you have with me?"

"Well, you see, you have this very nice 15 million beli bounty on your head and I decided that it would go a long way to filling the coffers of my budding pirate crew. Plus it was an excellent chance to get some combat experience for myself and my first mate over there. So you see, you are quite the useful clown. I must thank you for that." Luffy replied with a pleasant smile on his face.

Buggy became even more infuriated at his response. For treating him as a training exercise with a cash prize at the end. It was humiliating to listen to this upstart speak to him in such a way.

"You! I will flashily kill you today, boy!" Buggy roared before flinging his throwing knives in Luffy's direction.

Luffy sprinted forward and performed a combat roll, allowing the knives to pass overhead, before getting up with his momentum and kicking the air in front of Buggy.

" **Rankyaku"**

The air blade travelled sped to Buggy at frightening pace and he was too slow to dodge as it splint him in half, cleanly down the middle.

Luffy was about to relax, disappointed at the one-sided fight, before he noticed that Buggy's signature didn't disappear, as it normally would upon death. He tensed his body in preparation, which was the right thing to do as he sense an attack from behind and spun away just in time to see a floating hand holding a knife sail through the space he was just occupying. If he was even a second late, he would have been knifed in the back. He wasn't too worried though and simply raised an eyebrow at the strange phenomenon.

"Hah! Seem like you got lucky there, boy. You see, I ate the **Bara Bara no Mi** , making me a splitting man. Bladed attacks are useless against me!" He gloated, causing Luffy to stare at him with a deadpan expression.

"So bladed attacks won't work on you. That means I have to use some good old fashioned blunt force to break you." Luffy commented.

"Haha, that's right!" Buggy laughed before his mind caught up to what Luffy said. "Huh?" Was as far as he got.

" **Soru"**

Luffy vanished before smashing his knuckles into Buggy's face with a back-handed punch, causing him to stumble and cry out in pain, but Luffy didn't give him the chance to regroup as he stomped down on his foot causing Buggy to stand up on his toes in an attempt to alleviate the pain which did nothing but earn him a brutal head-butt to his big red nose. Luffy finished off the combo with a thrust kick to Buggy's sternum, sending him flying into one of the buildings behind him.

Buggy was down for about a minute before the rubble started to move and he emerged. He was bleeding slightly from the mouth looking like he was about to pop an artery.

"You! I will kill you! Slowly and painfully! The level of your disrespect to the great Buggy-sama is unforgiveable!" Buggy shouted hysterically before gripping a knife between each of the spaces between his fingers on his right hand.

" **Bara Bara Cannon!"**

The hand launched at Luffy, the four knives glinting at the prospect of drawing fresh blood. It was a good attack, but it was far too slow for a guy like Luffy to be hit with it. After waiting for the hand to get to the perfect position, Luffy used his inhuman dexterity to leap over the attack, high into the air before using his momentum to bring him back down, allowing him to bring his foot down on the disembodied hand hard, the velocity of the fall aiding him greatly.

Buggy screamed in agony as the fingers on his had were undoubtedly broken. He reattached his hand to his arm, gently cradling his limp fingers, barely stopping the tears that were threatening to escape at the pain he was feeling.

Unfortunately for him, Luffy wasn't done. He sent a stiff kick aimed at Buggy's kneecaps. The clown captain's self-preservation being instincts on high alert, used his ability to avoid the attack.

" **Bara Bara Emergency Escape"**

His body disassembled into numerous parts, allowing him to evade the crippling blow. It was unfortunate once again that this only presented Luffy with more targets to aim for.

Using his superior speed as well as generous application of **Soru** , Luffy managed to target many of the disembodied body parts and stomped on them hard. His feet, reaming hand, shoulders, thighs as well as his groin.

The end result was Buggy, after finally realising the danger he was in far too late, pulling himself together and lying on the floor in the foetal position, sobbing to himself at the torment he was being forced to endure. He wasn't sure if he would be able to move anytime soon. He attempted to look up and glare murderously at Luffy, but the tears falling from his eyes ruin the effect. Luffy just quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement before pointing his thumb in a certain direction. Buggy looked to where he was pointing to see his chief of staff erupting in a geyser of blood.

"CABA-CHAN!" He managed to scream out, completely horrified at what he was seeing. He wasn't even allowed to comprehend the events properly as a shadow loomed over him. He looked up and stared into the, to him at least, demonic eyes of the bastard who put him in this position.

"The next time you wake, you'll probably be in a comfortable prison. Just know that your defeat wasn't in vain and that your bounty will contribute greatly to my ambitions. Bye Bye." Luffy said condescendingly. Buggy wanted to scream out in anger but he didn't get the chance as Luffy put his hand on head and Buggy felt a static shock race through his body, shutting down his nervous system. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a set of gleaming purple eyes.

As Luffy watched Buggy pass out from the electric shock administered to his system, he slapped his old Kairōseki bracelet on his hand, ensuring that in the event that he did wake, he wouldn't have the power to escape. He looked behind him when he heard the 'click-clack' of high heels approaching him.

"Good job Kuina. I hope those guys at least provided a decent warm for you." He questioned with a cheeky smirk. Kuina just rolled her eyes good naturedly with a small smile on her face.

"Not really. It was kind of embarrassing how weak they were. How about the captain? Was he any good?" She inquired.

"No really. He had almost no skill whatsoever. The only thing he had going for him was his Devil Fruit abilities. Turns out he ate the **Bara Bara no Mi** allowing him to split any part of his body. He is the natural enemy of sword users. At least, he likes to think so, I wouldn't put any stock into it though as I'm sure you would have found a way to beat him." He answered with an encouraging smile in her direction, knowing that his first mate sometimes had self-confidence issues when it came to her skills due to people mocking her for years because of her gender. His words had the desired effect as Kuina stood up straighter and there was a happy glow in her eyes at the praise directed towards her.

"Those are real? Whenever I've heard about them, they were spoken about as though they were myths." She pondered.

"They are very real. In the East Blue, they are thought of as myths because of their rarity. But on the Grand Line, we will be tripping over Devil Fruit users as everyone and their dogs, literally in some cases, have one." Luffy answered, getting an affirming nod in reply. "In fact, I ate a Devil Fruit too when I was younger." He said. Kuina raised an eyebrow in interest, having never seen him use a special ability.

"Really?"

"Yip. I ate the **Goro Goro no Mi** , making me a lightning man. It's what I used to knock this guy out. I sent a pulse of electricity through this guy's brain. Not enough to kill him, but enough to shut down his nervous system and render him unconscious." He answered, causing Kuina to hum in appreciation, clearly impressed at the range of her captain's abilities. "I then slapped this old bracelet of mine on his wrist. It is made out of a metal called Kairōseki, which emits the energy of the sea and therefore renders Devil Fruit users unable to use their abilities. Making sure this guy won't try any funny business if he does manage to regain consciousness." He further explained. "Anyway, we got what he came here for. Let get some rope on this guy and get him to the nearest Marine base. There's one not too far away from here if I remember correctly. But before that, it would be impolite not to raid this guy's treasure store for whatever we want after we went to all the trouble of beating the stuffing out of his crew. It's not like he's going to need it where he's going." He suggested. Getting an affirmative from his first mate.

"Hai, senchō." She replied before following behind her captain with a spring in her step, happy from having a fight today, even if it wasn't necessarily a good one.

In a building not too far away, Nami watched in shock at the way the two strangers dispatched an entire pirate crew with laughable ease. She was thinking of stealing Buggy's treasure while they kept him busy but couldn't find an opening and the fights didn't even last that long. She was now glad she didn't do that. Those two were dangerous. She didn't want to be in their crosshairs if she could help it. She was upset though as they took not only Buggy's treasure, but Buggy himself as well, who would earn them a cool 15 million beli. She lamented the poor circumstances of their meeting. They would have been useful in her endeavours. Oh well, nothing to do about it now.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It only took two hours of sailing to get to the next island, Omega Town. Thanks to the goods they appropriated from Buggy's crew, they had an impressive cash reserve already, his bounty and those after him will only add to the total. Luffy also helped himself to one of the boats from Buggy's ship to replace their dinghy. This one was quite a bit larger, but not too large to be inoperable by the two of them. It had a small cabin and could easily fit 6-7 people. It would be enough for their journey throughout East Blue, but they would definitely need a sturdier ship before reaching the Grand Line.

Luffy and Kuina happily walked out of the Marine base with a bag containing their 15 million beli. They received incredulous looks when turning in Buggy's bounty, but Kuina's reputation as well as Luffy's intimidating presence stayed any suspicions the Marines might have. Not that Luffy or Kuina cared.

They were now casually walking around town, stopping every so often to purchase provisions or inspects something that caught their eye. Omega Town was a small town located and an island that was made up mainly of forests and wildlife. The locals were relatively friendly and open to answering questions about the town as well as surrounding islands. All in all, it was a pleasant experience for Luffy and Kuina who took the time to kick back and relax a little.

After spending an enjoyable day together, which only served to deepen the trust and familiarity with each other, Luffy and Kuina casually strolled towards their boat, enjoying the view of the setting sun on the horizon. There was a comfortable silence between them as they walked. There was no need to disrupt the atmosphere until Luffy came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. Kuina looked to her captain, sensing his unease.

"Senchō, what's wrong?" She inquired.

Luffy didn't answer her for a while, which she didn't mind. She was a patient woman after all. He looked to be staring in a random direction, concentrating heavily on whatever he was thinking about. After about a minute his eyes snapped in her direction.

"Something's wrong here." He said. Kuina, in the short time they were together, never doubted the words of Luffy and she wouldn't start now. "I can feel an overwhelmingly disgusting cluster of people in the direction of those forests. It is quite deep in, far away from civilisation. If I had to guess, it is some kind of underground base."

Kuina's eyebrows reached her hairline at the information.

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"You remember the abilities I told you about? The one I said I would explain when we got a larger crew. This is one of them. I faintly sense the presence of some of the people on this island. I'm not as good with this skill as I like but it is sufficient enough to detect presences. Like I said, there is an overwhelming amount of negativity coming from that place I mentioned. It almost makes me vomit. Whatever it is, it isn't good." He explained.

Kuina became serious at hearing this. She didn't like the implications of what she was hearing.

"What will we do senchō?" she asked.

"I've said before that I'm no hero. And I stick by that. But leaving things as is would leave a bad taste in my mouth. These people, whoever they are, feel far too vile for me to ignore. Not to mention, I can almost feel something or someone calling out to me. Something resonating with me. I don't know if it's because of my ability or if I'm imagining things, but I need to know what it is." He replied before looking directly into Kuina's eyes. "I know you agreed to join me, and I'm happier than you can imagine. But I don't want to drag you along in this crazy endeavour of mine. I don't know what or who we might encounter. I don't know if I will even make it out alive. If you want to stay behind, I won't fault you."

Kuina just looked at him with a warm smile on her face.

"I agreed to follow you, and I will stick by that decision. I'm a big girl you know. I didn't regret my choice then and I don't regret it now. I will follow you to the ends of the Earth, senchō. Besides, I would be embarrassed if my captain, the future Pirate King, couldn't at least handle something on this tiny island." She said without a shred of doubt in her voice before finishing off with a playful verbal jab in his direction.

Luffy laughed happily at her words, glad he found such an amazing woman to be in his crew. She truly was a gem in the sea of trash here in East Blue.

They shared a quiet moment together before sobering up quickly. They nodded to each other seriously before Luffy took off in the direction of the forest, Kuina hot on his heels. After about forty minutes of travel, Luffy eventually came to a stop on the edge of a wide open clearing. After scoping out the area, he turned to Kuina with a serious expression on his face.

"We have no idea what awaits us in there, so I want you to remain on high alert. I trust you implicitly to watch my back, just as I hope you will trust me to watch yours. Hold nothing back and try to stay as close as possible." Luffy advised, nodding a strong nod of confirmation.

They both went along, searching for some kind of entrance. After ten minutes, they hit pay dirt. Luffy almost tripped over something on the ground which turned out to be a handle of some kind. After unlatching it and opening it up, it lead to a bunker.

The feeling of wrongness only amplified as they entered the bunker, closing the hatch behind them. The entire place was white. From the walls to the ceilings, it was all white. It was almost like some kind of hospital, right down to the smell of the disinfectant in the air. The place was unnatural. What was something like this doing in the middle of a forest?

"I don't like this." Luffy said. Kuina agreed with him wholeheartedly. Something about this place made her skin crawl.

After making sure they were ready, they both moved forward cautiously.

They walked around aimlessly for a good chunk of time, taking care to be as silent as possible. Just when they were about to give up and declare the place abandoned…they heard voices.

"Sample 047 surpassed all expectations. It's incomprehensible that it was actually a success. It was cleared as completely fit and healthy as far as physical fitness is concerned." They heard the voice of an older man speak.

From the snippets of the conversation that they picked up, they concluded that this was some sort of research facility. Luffy turned to Kuina and held up five fingers, then a single finger, signalling that there are six people in the room. She nodded positively and prepared to find a way in before Luffy's eyes widened slightly. He immediately grabbed her around the waist and took a great leap backwards just in time as the wall in front of them exploded outward.

"Oh my, it looks like Sample 047 found a pair of rats snooping around our base." The voice from before spoke out.

They looked forward to the room and saw a silhouette. As the dust cleared, they got a good look at the person responsible for the exploding wall.

It was a woman. A tall woman. Probably about 6 feet tall. She was wearing all black, with black combat boots, black cargo pants that showed off the curvy contours of her hips. On her torso she wore form fitting long-sleeved black top that hugged her large breasts as well as black leather gloves on her hands. She had shoulder length hair cut in a hime-style that was a beautiful shade of red. Her face was one that wouldn't look out of place on a supermodel with her regal features and unblemished skin. The thing that drew Luffy the most though, were her eyes. They were a beautiful stormy grey, covered by square-rimmed black spectacles that didn't at all detract from the mesmerising quality of her eyes. The unnerving thing about her though, was that her face was completely devoid of emotion. Her eyes were blank, and her gaze was empty. Luffy wasn't a soft hearted person by nature, but his heart clenched painfully at the sight of this woman. That was when he caught sight of the large metal collar around her neck. For some reason, it made his blood boil in anger.

"Well well, look what we have here. The two of you don't look familiar. I assumed some big shot pirates were raiding us, but it turns out it was just two nobodies." The man from before spoke condescendingly. He was an average looking man with a heavy receding hairline and a white lab coat over medical scrubs. There were four other people who were wearing the same clothes, signifying their positions as doctors/scientists. The one who spoke though had a sick smile on his face as he spoke to them, like they were mice caught in his trap. "Who are you with? The Revolutionary Army?" He asked in a sing-song time of voice that pissed Luffy off big time. However, he didn't even bother to look at the doctor. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he hasn't looked away from the woman who also stared blankly at him. "Who am I kidding, of course you are. Only those cretins would have the resources to find and infiltrate a secret government research facility like this one. I must commend you for your work, however, this is where your journey ends. Sample 047 here is about to snuff the life right out of you." He said with faux pity as he pointed to the woman, who he addressed as Sample 047. This is why Luffy loved letting assholes like this run their mouths. He just gave away most of the information Luffy was seeking in his cliché monologue. It filled Luffy with distaste at the thought of what kind of atrocities the World Government sanctioned these sorry excuse for doctors to perform. "Kill them." He ordered the woman.

"Kuina, stay back and make sure the others don't interfere. This is my fight." Luffy ordered with utmost seriousness in his voice, never taking his eyes of the woman before him. Kuina noticed her captains changed demeanour and obeyed his order, walking off to the side and keeping a sharp eye on the doctors.

The stare off between the two lasted for a few seconds, with Luffy searching for something in her eyes and Sample 047 just staring blankly at him.

The stalemate was broken when she took an inhuman leap that crossed the entire length of the large hallway and was on him in seconds, extending her fist for a straight punch. Luffy's reflexes were quick enough to anticipate the move and take an equally impressive leap backwards. Which turned out to be a smart thing as the ground her fist made contact with was demolished, leaving a substantial crater.

Luffy was flabbergasted at the monstrous strength of the woman. That wasn't normal at all.

Kuina was equally bug eyed at the scene she was witnessing.

The doctor on the other hand just laughed loudly. His laugh sounding like nails raking across a chalkboard.

"Well…what do you think boya? Sample 047's strength is quite impressive, no?" The doctor taunted Luffy.

Not giving him time to recover, the woman pressed her attack with another punch aimed at Luffy's torso at high velocity. Luffy once again thanked his superior speed and reflexes for allowing him to dodge the hit.

He noticed, that while the woman had truly monstrous strength, her speed wasn't close to matching his yet. Then again, thanks to his naturally superior frame, which was built for speed and power, coupled with his **Akuma no Mi** ability which boosted his already outrageous body to superhuman levels in terms of speed, reflexes and dexterity. There were very few people in the world who were faster than him. So while she had him beat in the strength department, it was useless if she couldn't land a hit on him. From the stiff way she moved her body, he could tell that she was either not well trained, or she was holding back for some reason. He honestly couldn't get a good read on this woman. She was a walking set of contradictions.

"She's the crowning jewel of this facility. The forty-seventh human sample that we experimented on. The other forty-six were failures and had to be disposed of. It was like a sign from the gods above, validating our work when she was receptive to our tests. We injected her with multitude of different chemicals. Some good, some potentially fatal. But she soldiered on, with a will to live that defied common sense, she somehow survived. No, she didn't just survive, she was somehow able to assimilate the chemicals into her blood stream, mutating her body into something that transcends common sense. Her strength, as you have noticed is superior to a regular humans by a miles. Her body is far sturdier, able to tank hits that normal people might die from. She heals at a pace that is slightly faster than normal. Her brain works at a higher level as well, sending and receiving signals at a faster rate. The side effect though, was that she lost the ability to feel emotions like a normal human being." The doctor clarified with a sick smirk on her face.

Kuina looked horrified at the implications and Luffy narrowed his eyes in fury. He didn't like what he was hearing at all. They stripped this woman of not only her emotions, but her freedom and her dignity. There was nothing more that Luffy despised. The woman's eyes never gave anything away though. Her empty gaze all the more rage inducing. Luffy would know, because he hasn't broken eye contact with her from the start of the confrontation. He saw a lot of himself in this woman. He couldn't help but wonder, if his grandpa didn't take him under his wing and afford him protection…would he end up like this? Being dissected at some Government facility. This could so easily have been him. That's why Luffy wouldn't pity her. She was far too strong, not just physically, but mentally as well, for her to be pitied. She is a survivor. She endured the horrors that were inflicted upon her and persevered through it all. She deserved nothing but his respect and admiration.

Luffy decided to stop being so passive in the fight. He would give this woman a fight worthy of someone of her stature. He would bring out something in her, one way or another. Even the barest spark of emotion will be a victory for him.

He made the conscious effort to not turn on his Logia defences for two reasons. Number one, he didn't want to give away his ability this soon. As this was a clearly Government sanctioned facility, probably off the books, he didn't want to take any chances with whatever surveillance they might have. And number two, he wanted to fight this woman in a pure physical fight. She was powerful, no doubt about that, and the warrior spirit in Luffy wanted to go toe-to-toe with her. He wanted to bring out the fighting spirit within her. He knows it's there, her survival of the horrors she endured is evidence enough. He would make her feel something.

After sending a challenging smirk in her direction, Luffy didn't dodge the next hit, he flowed around it before lodging his fist in the woman's surprisingly toned midsection. She staggered for a bit, as Luffy put a bit more force into that hit which was a good thing because it felt as though he hit a brick wall. She quickly gathered herself though and sent a spin kick at him, causing him to duck under it before throwing his left leg at her in a wide arc, attempting to sweep her off her feet. She anticipated his move and jumped over the sweep, before bringing her heel down for an axe kick that Luffy blocked by crossing his forearms over his face. It wasn't enough however as although he blocked the kick, the force behind it sent him skidding back. He had to shake his arms vigorously to get some feeling back in them as the hit she landed on him made them numb. It hurt, Luffy's smirk widened, it hurt a hell of a lot.

"Impressive isn't she? Once we figure out how to stimulate the same results in others, we will be able to mass produce people like her. The World Government will have an entire army of super soldiers. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to communicate our success as of yet due to the remoteness of the facility. But in the next month, our handler will be here and we can take our work to the higher levels, getting a wider variety of samples to work with. And Sample 047 here will willing subdue and help experiment on them. Thanks to that collar around her neck, she knows that one wrong move and that pretty little head of hers will be blown clean off her shoulders at the push of a button." The doctor elucidated as he waved around a remote in his hand. Luffy's blood boiled even more. That explains why she didn't just break out as she was clearly superior to these worthless trash. She was basically a slave to them. "But she won't try anything because to rebel would require to have emotions…which, unfortunately, she doesn't possess." He finished with a false tone of pity.

It happened within a fraction of a second, but Luffy spotted it immediately. He was just as inhuman as she was so it was hard to hide things like that from him. He saw for that split second, that her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly in anger, before it vanished like it was never there.

Luffy's grin widened at the implications.

Not wasting any more time, he blurred to her position and sent a haymaker at her. She put up her arms in defence before grabbing his trailing arm and executing a judo throw, sending him flying overhead. Luffy managed to right himself in mid-air and used the ceiling as a foothold to propel himself back to the ground at a higher velocity, sending a dropkick at her. She jumped back, causing his foot to strike the ground and tear up a good chunk of it. He had to improvise and perform a backwards combat roll to dodge the vicious sweep kick aimed at his head. He used the momentum from the roll to kip up to his feet before blurring forward, left fist outstretched. She met him head on with her right and there was a shockwave that emanated when their fists connected with each other.

Luffy knew he wasn't imagining it when he felt her fist against his. The more the fight went on the more fluidly she was moving. The more purpose were behind her hits.

They say when two warriors cross swords, or in this case fists, they can get a feel of their opponent in terms of their personality and character. Luffy knew, from his instincts and excellent judgement, that there was more to this woman than what that idiot doctor assumed of her. He could see from her eyes, there was something in there now. It was almost indescribable, but Luffy could see it. There was some enjoyment in them. She was feeling something from this. He could relate, because his blood was boiling in excitement as well. It was rare that he could cut loose against someone. The only other person being Kuina. He made up his mind in that moment. He would free this woman and offer her a place on his crew. She had far too much to offer to the world to be stuck in this place like some lab rat.

He met her eyes once again, his softening slightly, and he smiled understandingly at her making her eyes widen a little before returning to its normal blank look. But his message was received. He wanted to feel more of what she could do. He wanted her to put her soul into this fight.

No more words needed to be said as they clashed once again. They met head on, slugging each other. Neither holding back. Punches, kicks, head-butts, elbows, throws…all of these were dished out in their deadly dance. Blood was spilt from both sides as they dished out punishment without reserve. Luffy could tell that for all the doctor saying that she didn't feel anything, this woman had emotions. You just had to look further beneath the surface to comprehend them. Like now for instance, Luffy could tell that she was revelling in the freedom of the battle they were having. The freedom to fight without restraint. The freedom to express herself through her fists and feet. She was enjoying herself just as much as he was. Her eyes were starting to reflect her state of mind as they were becoming clearer the more the fight went on.

Kuina just shook her head with an amused smile on her face, long since realising what was happening. Her captain truly was a remarkable individual, to be able to elicit such a reaction from someone who was supposed to have the emotional range of a robot.

The doctors sensed the shift in the atmosphere as well as they were looking more and more agitated as time went by.

"Sample 047! Stop playing around and kill these intruders! Or it will be your head in the platter!" He roared in anger and a little worry.

Luffy knew he couldn't drag this out any longer than needed. He had to use the full force of his power to take her down. While he felt bad about it, he was holding back quite a bit of it. As they met once again in a test of strength, Luffy exerted more power, causing her arm to buckle under the pressure. He capitalised on the opportunity and delivered a flurry of punches on her sternum, midsection, shoulder, lower back and right jaw. She was left staggering at the combo before Luffy delivered a straight thrust kick at her face, sending her flying into the wall behind her, slumping down slightly as she landed.

He didn't feel bad about being that brutal in his attacks as he knew she could take it and anything less would be an insult to a warrior as extraordinary as she is.

"Get up you stupid bitch! Kill them! Kill them now! I won't let you fall this easily! We made you! Get up and defend your owners!" The doctor screamed, foaming slightly at the mouth in anger and fear. His cocky demeanour from before vanishing as he witnessed the extent at which Luffy outmatched his experiment.

Luffy just shook his head at the worthless scum that these doctors were. There was no need for them among the world of the living any longer.

Allowing his body to return to its natural state, lightning flowing through him, Luffy vanished in a blue spark before reappearing in the exact same spot. The doctors didn't notice a damn thing. All Kuina saw was the flash of blue. It was almost impossible to track Luffy's movement.

The doctors realised something had happened, but didn't know what until they saw Luffy's left hand. The looks of horror and terror dawning on their faces was like a shot of adrenaline to him. These animals were a stain on humanity. He was sorely tempted to erase them from existence but he knew he had no right.

He looked to the direction of the far wall and spotted his opponent walking out of the dust that kicked up upon her crash. She was walking a little gingerly from the punishment her body took but she looked fine for the most part.

She spotted the remote in Luffy's hand immediately as he waved it at her. She tensed up for a second before it disappeared.

Luffy looked directly into her eyes. It was intense and filled with significance. It was like he was piercing her soul with his purple eyes. It was like she was being stripped bare and her entire being put on display before this man. She wouldn't admit it, but a pleasant thrill made its way up her spine. This man made her experience things that she didn't think possible anymore. He managed to elicit feeling that she long though she lost. He made her want to be better. His very presence was so enormous and commanding, it was calling out to her.

After about a minute of intense staring, Luffy spoke.

"Since I have this remote, that means I can give you an order right." He questioned, but didn't wait for a response as he pressed on. "If you would, please dispose of these worthless insects that are polluting the very air with their presence." He finished, pointing at the horrified doctors.

The sadistic gleam that came to her eyes was visible to everyone there. There was no mistaking it. The doctors realised their mistake far too late. They had created a monster, and it was about to be directed at them.

For the next few minutes, nothing could be heard but the agonising screams of the doctors as well as the snapping of bones and the rending of human flesh.

Luffy never once took his eyes of the horrific sight and neither did Kuina, both having being desensitised to this level of violence a long time ago. They both just looked on dispassionately.

After a few more minutes of screams…there was absolute silence…before the sound of footsteps sounded out. The woman came into view, covered head to toe in blood and gore from the brutal execution she just performed.

She came to a stop in from of Luffy, looking into his eyes with her blank but seemingly satisfied eyes, before dropping to one knee.

"You order has been fulfilled, Master." She spoke for the first time, her voice completely monotone, but still had a beautiful, velvety quality to it.

Luffy just gazed at her with a gobsmacked expression.

"Whoa whoa whoa…first of all." Luffy crushed the remote in his hands before leaning down and using his ability to override and circuits in the explosive mechanism in the collar before exerting his raw power and tearing it off her neck. She looked up at him uncomprehendingly. He just smiled softly down at her before offering his hand. "I'm not your master. I'd much rather be your friend." He said, causing her eyes to widen slightly in shock. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy. The pretty lady to my right is Kimishima Kuina. Can you tell us your name?" He asked gently after introducing himself and Kuina. The woman looked up at him in wonder before answering.

"Sample 047." She said softly in her monotonous voice. Luffy frowned at her answer.

"That isn't your real name. It's something those fucking asshole doctors came up with. Please don't ever address yourself as that ever again. It dehumanises you and I don't like it. You are a normal person…well normal isn't really accurate but don't feel bad about that. I'm not normal either, same can be said about Kuina. Normal is for boring people. Do you mind if I give you a name, seeing as though you can't remember yours." Luffy said before earnestly questioning her. She gazed at him in awe, well it might be, as it was hard to tell with that blank look in her eyes. But if you looked closely, you could see a little eagerness in her eyes. She nodded in response. Luffy smiled slightly before putting his hand to his chin before taking up a comical thinking pose, causing Kuina to chuckle at his goofiness and even their new friend felt her lips twitch slightly at the sight. They didn't have to wait long at Luffy snapped his fingers in an 'aha!' motion before addressing the object of his interest. He gazed into her eyes and spoke her new name. "Shizuku. Saotome Shizuku. That will be your new name. Do you like it?"

The now named Shizuku closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly digesting the name. Repeating it constantly in her mind.

"Shizuku." She said it out loud. Before repeating it again and again and again. "I am Shizuku." She finished, a gleam of what could be construed as happiness and contentment passed through her eyes.

"Shishishi, I'm glad you like it Shizuku." Luffy laughed in happiness.

"Hai. Thank you, Master." Shizuku replied, causing Luffy to face-vault.

"Oi, Shizuku. I told you, I'm not your master, I'm your friend. So you can just call me Luffy." He advised.

"Yes Master." She replied blankly.

Luffy's face was frozen in a forced smile as his eyebrow started to twitch erratically in sheer annoyance. He took a deep breath before calming down and pinning Shizuku with a serious stare.

"I won't offer you any false platitudes, as I can't begin to imagine the kind of horrors you were forced to endure. I won't tell you what you have to do. You are free now. You can leave and we will probably never see each other again. You don't have to worry about us saying anything about you or your situation to anybody. However, as your new friend, I want to make you an offer. I have a dream you see. I want to sail the greatest sea the world has to offer. I will take on the Grand Line and I will find One Piece. I will be the Pirate King, because the Pirate King is the man with the most freedom on the seas. I can tell you're like me in some regard. After being subjugated in this lab for god knows how long, you yearn for the freedom to do whatever you want. I can guarantee you that we will travel the seas, finding more nakama and having fun adventures. Come with me Shizuku and I will show you the world." Luffy declared passionately, never straying from Shizuku's eyes.

She looked up at him, judging the sincerity of his words. It only took a few second, but for the first time since he laid eyes on her, he saw a real emotion on her face. A small smile bloomed on her lips as she reached out and took his hand. Luffy broke out into an ecstatic grin at her response.

"Yes! A new nakama!" He cheered doing a little jig in response to his happiness, causing both his crew members to stare at him, one in amusement the other in just a little happiness. "That means you'll join, right Shizuku?" Luffy stopped his dance to ask, just for verbal confirmation.

"Yes Master." Shizuku replied blankly.

Luffy stopped his dance completely before looking at her in irritation before letting out and incomprehensible shout.

"Arrgh!" He screamed, pulling at his hair in frustration at his new crew member seemingly unable to understand that he didn't want her to call him that.

Kuina just looked on in amusement, before looking at Shizuku. She couldn't mistake the glint of mischievousness that she saw in those normally blank eyes as she stared at their captain. Kuina just chuckled at the way her captain was so easily riled up by her. It certainly was going to be in interesting time ahead.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _ **Wow, that was a little darker that I thought it would be. Anyway, I hoped you liked the new chapter. I had a little original arc here to introduce the new crew member…the resident kuudere…Shizuku. She's going to be the navigator/bodyguard.**_

 _ **I plan on doing the next few chapters in the same fashion. A canon fight in the first half then original recruitment arc in the second half. Next up will be Kuro. I fucking hate that dude. He will be stomped into the ground, make no mistake about it.**_

 _ **The next crew member will be the sniper. I want to give her a cool weapon/ability. But I don't want too many devil fruit users. Plus it will be a while till the awesome Franky gets there to create badass weapons. So I was thinking about Spandams sword. Feeding a devil fruits to a pistol/rifle to give her a range of attacks. For example the Bomu Bomu no mi can be used on a pistol for explosive/incendiary shots. The Mato Mato no mi for homing shots etc. Give me some examples of devil fruits that you think could make good ammunition like that.**_

 _ **To answer the question of one of the reviewers, no I don't plan on doing an expanded crew, it will be the same number of about 10. I'm not sure if I'll count Luffy in that 10. I may add only one extra crew member, but I'm stuck between Monet and Perona. I like Perona but Monet is one of my absolute favourites. It was hard to hate her even though she was a baddie. The problem is how to convert her when she's so loyal to Doflamingo. Maybe Luffy saving her from death and now pledging her life to him in her second life? I don't know…I'll see what happens. But like I said, her loyalty and devotion was awe-inspiring. It reminds me of a meme I saw a while ago about my main guy Jeremiah Gottwald. I can even use Monet and paraphrase it. She's '50% woman, 50% bird, 200% Motherfucking Loyalty'.**_

 _ **I'm not sure if you noticed, but none of his crew members so far called Luffy by his name. That was done on purpose. This will be something of a little running gag in this story.**_

 _ **Anyway, that's enough of that, next chapter might take a while longer as I have two tests coming up, but look forward to it. It has Kuro getting the beating of a lifetime plus a sexy sniper with a cowboy hat. Thumbs up on both those things.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed the read…Lionheart021 out!**_


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: As much as I wish it, I do not own One Piece…It belongs to that glorious bastard Eiichiro Oda

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 3: Kuro has a really bad day**

After successfully recruiting the emotionless girl with the strength to punch mountains out of existence, Luffy decided that the research facility was far too dangerous to leave as is. He didn't know what kind of data was left lying around by those sick bastards and didn't want to take the chance of the stooges in the World Government getting their filthy paws on it. With that in mind, he took the difficult decision to burn the place to the ground…Okay, that was a lie. He was almost salivating at the prospect of setting something on fire. As a healthy seventeen year old, one couldn't fault him for his mild case of pyromania.

No, what was most troubling was the creepy laugh coupled with the excited glint in his eyes as he watched the facility burn to the ground. Kuina had to stop from face palming at her captains quirky habits. Shizuku didn't really find anything wrong with it, then again, she had an equally sadistic gleam in her eyes as she watched her old prison burn. It may have been her imagination, but Kuina could have sworn that she saw the emotionless girl shudder in pleasure at witnessing the scene. It was tough on Kuina, being the sanest one on her crew, which was kind of sad as she was a battle maniac who loved to spill the blood of her enemies…they were a real fucked up bunch.

"Well, I would say this was a highly productive day. Not only getting a cool 15 million beli for that clown Buggy, but also recruiting a new crew member while taking down a World Government facility. All in all, a good days work." Luffy spoke out as the three of them walked to the boat. Luffy had an extra bounce in his strep from the good mood that he was currently in.

"Maybe it was good for you, senchō. But I was basically a spectator. I didn't even get to fight." Kuina said a little petulantly. Like a little girl who got her favourite doll taken away.

"There there. You can take down the next bounty we come across. I promise." Luffy consoled her as he gently stroked her hair, something that she quite enjoyed, though she would never say that out loud. Kuina perked up quickly after that. The petting from her captain plus the prospect of a good fight put her in an equally good mood.

Shizuku just watched on with a blank look on her face. If you looked closely though, you could see her eyebrow twitching a little in what was presumably annoyance.

"So where to next senchō?" Kuina inquired.

"Hmmm…well to be honest with you…I have no clue." Luffy answered sheepishly as her rubbed the back of his head causing Kuina to nearly face-vault. For all his strength and bad-assery, her captain could be such a goofball sometimes. "I didn't have a set course in mind. I was just planning on going from island to island, looking for potential recruits. I know the basic layout of East Blue, and I can handle basic navigation, but it's not something I would bet my money on. I would suggest that we just head out to sea and anchor on the next island we come across." He suggested nonchalantly. Kuina didn't really have a problem with that as it was basically what she was doing thus far. Their salvation came from an unexpected source.

"The next island is Gecko Island. North north east. Two days travel time if bearings are kept true." Shizuku provided in her usual robotic manner causing Luffy and Kuina to come to a screeching halt. Both giving her incredulous looks, trying to comprehend what they were hearing.

"Shizuku…you know how to navigate? Like full more than just basics? Full on 'deep sea, treacherous storms, crazy oceans' navigation?" Luffy asked slowly, trying to fully digest the information.

Shizuku just looked at her captain blankly, before giving an affirmative nod. Luffy, having gotten somewhat used to his new companions stunted social skills, quickly understood the implications. He broke out into an excited grin before giving an excited 'whoop!' in celebration of finally having a competent navigator. He quickly scooped up the large frame of Shizuku and spun her around in happiness.

Shizuku tensed up briefly before relaxing her body. Although they were basically strangers, her instincts were telling her that her new captain would never harm her. He could have killed her already in their fight, but he didn't for some reason. Maybe he wanted to use her for her strength. But it wouldn't make any sense as he was stronger than her. Maybe she was just reading too much into it. It was an unfortunate habit of hers. One developed from years of slavery and torture. She always expected the worst in people. That way when they did betray her, she wouldn't be as hurt by it. She wanted to apply that to her new companions, but it was difficult. Her captain was a mysterious man. He was powerful, that much was obvious. But he was also highly charismatic. He was very open with his emotions, displaying them for all to see. But there was always this glint in his eyes, and this feeling that all is not what it seems. He was a puzzle. The good thing though, was that Shizuku loved puzzles. But it was a moot point to think about. For the first time in her life, Shizuku decided that she would trust her heart to guide her instead of her brain. Her captain already won her over with his words, coupled with the fact that he freed her from her life of torment, when he could have easily kept the collar on her neck and used her for the rest of her life. But his first instinct was to free her. He called them similar people. From that moment she vowed that she would follow him till death, as a way to repay the kindness that he showed to her. For freeing her from her shackles. He already considered her a friend, and it was a good feeling, Shizuku decided.

After finally getting over the celebrations, Luffy and his crew boarded their boat, storing away their bounty and untying their boat from the dock.

"Now that we finally have a competent navigator on the crew, making it directly to islands will be much simpler. You said the next island is Gecko Island, right? That's perfect. I have some business there to attend to at Syrup Village. Shizuku, the wheel is yours. Set us on course!" Luffy ordered imperiously as he pointed dramatically out at the ocean.

"Yes, Master." Shizuku answered obediently, causing Luffy to face-plant comically and Kuina to laugh at her captain's misfortune.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The outline of Gecko Island could be seen in the distance as the trio steadily approached the island.

"Senchō, you said you had some business on this is island?" Kuina inquired. She didn't want to sound nosy but she was interested in learning more about her captain. Shizuku, although not changing her posture, was also listening in to the conversation.

"Yeah. It a favour for an old friend of mine. I told him I would carry on a message to his remaining family when I set out." Luffy answered, satisfying the curiosity of the girls for now.

As they got closer to the island, they heard the sounds of shouting. They spotted a ship. A Pirate ship to be exact. It was entirely black with a giant cat head as a figurehead. Luffy didn't recognise the Jolly Roger so asked Kuina, who would probably more knowledgeable about the pirate crews in the East Blue from her bounty hunting days.

"Kuina, do you recognise the mark?" Luffy asked in a serious tone of voice, showing that he meant business.

"Hmmm…I may be mistaken, but I believe that it's the mark of the Black Cat Pirates. You might have heard of their captain, Kuro of 'A Thousand Plans'. He had a 16 million beli bounty on his head but he was captured three years ago by the Marines. Coincidentally, the one to capture him was Morgan, before he became 'Axe-Hand' Morgan, Captain of the Marines. It was that capture that earned him his promotion." Kuina provided. Luffy pulled a face of disgust at the mention of Morgan.

"I find it highly suspicious that a moron like Morgan, who probably couldn't even wipe his ass without help, probably literally if you think about that axe-hand, could capture a guy worth 16 million beli. I mean, Buggy was worth 15 million and he had a devil fruit. This guy Kuro must have been pretty good to rake up that amount in this part of the ocean. I definitely smell a rat…Oh well, not that it matters for now. For I predict some fun on the horizon. I see a rowdy pirate crew looking to loot a village up ahead. Now I wouldn't normally interfere, but I have business here and these punks are in the way. Might I interest you lovely ladies in a spirited afternoon of pirate crew extermination?" Luffy asked, with a faux suave tone of voice.

"Fufufu…you really know how to treat a lady, Senchō." Kuina replied with a challenging smirk on her face, excited at the prospect of cutting loose.

Shizuku tightened the gloves on her hand in preparation as she nodded silently in agreement to Kuina's statement.

"Shishishi, I'm glad to provide quality entertainment to my two favourite girls. Now, let's dock this boat and go crack open some skulls." Luffy ordered getting an enthusiastic shout from Kuina and a monotone one from Shizuku.

As they approached the shore, they noticed the pirates were in the process of offloading. A good lot of them had already congregated on the shore in front of their ship. There was quite a number of them, but none of them really stood out. They were your basic run-of-the-mill grunts. Only useful as canon-fodder.

"Don't take another step if you know what's good for you! I am captain Ussop. I have 80 million pirates under my command. If you attack this island, I will unleash them upon you!" Announced a gangly teen from the top of the slope, his knees badly shaking. He was wearing green overalls with a slingshot poised in his hand. The most defining feature though was his abnormally long nose.

"What! 80 million! We can't handle that many. Pack up boys, we need to get out of here as soon as possible!" Shouted a strange looking man with a hat, heart-shaped glasses and a long chin.

"But Captain Jango, he was lying." One of the grunts deadpanned at his captain, getting nods of agreement form the rest of the crew.

"Ehh! He was?!" Jango screamed incredulously, his eyes comically popping out of his skull.

"They figured it out!" Ussop screamed in fear.

"You little shit! How dare you try to trick me?! Men! Kill him and carry out your orders! Captain Kuro is counting on us!" Jango ordered.

Luffy, Kuina and Shizuku, who had just docked and were standing nearby heard the entire exchange.

At hearing Jango's final statement, terrifying grins broke out on Luffy and Kuina faces, while Shizuku had an unhealthy gleam in her eyes. Things just got interesting for them.

"Well well, looks like we were right to doubt Morgan's claim. According to these guys, Kuro seems to be alive and kicking. That means that 16 million bounty is ripe for the picking. Like I promised, you can have the guy. Shizuku and I will take out the grunts." Luffy said causing Kuina to perk up in excitement. Normally she would never go for such a high bounty, but Luffy instilled a new found confidence in her that made her unafraid to take on such a pirate. All it did now was excite her.

With a quick signal to Shizuku, Luffy took off in the direction of the pirate crew. He didn't want to get rusty so he drew his sword for the first time in a while.

The Black Cat pirates didn't even realise what was happening until it was far too late. All an onlooker would have seen was bodies flying to all directions as Luffy and Shizuku carved a path of destruction. Shizuku's mighty fists and Luffy's powerful sword swings were far too much for the untrained grunts of the Black Cat pirates. The sound of bodies dropping, bones breaking and flesh being sliced was haunting to those who could only look on in astonishment.

Jango was flabbergasted at the sight of his crew being decimated by two teenagers. That shock quickly turned to paralysing fear. Not at the new opponents, but at what his captain will do to him if they don't get the job done. When the last of the nameless grunts fell, he quickly called for reinforcements remembering that he still had an ace up his sleeve.

"Get out here, Nyaban Brothers!" Jango shouted towards his ship. On his call, two weirdly dressed goons jumped forward. One of them was really skinny while the other was fat. They weren't that impressive as far as reinforcements are concerned. "Buchi, Sham, we have to get past that slope, no matter the cost. But as you can see, someone's interfering. Wipe them out!" He ordered.

"Ehh…looks like there are some weirdo's being sent after us Shizuku…I'll take the skinny one, you might break him in half with a single punch. You take the other." Luffy drawled out his order, having lost interest in these weaklings. For a pirate crew, one with a supposedly famous captain, they were pathetically weak.

The Nyaban Brothers were about to put on their regular act of feigning fear before striking when their opponents let their guards down. Unfortunately, no plan survives first contact, especially when Luffy is involved.

Just as Sham opened his mouth to speak, Luffy blurred to him before smacking him across his face with the blunt end of his sword. The bad part for Sham, was that the grooves on the blunt side of the sword tore small chunks of flesh off his face. He didn't get the time to laments his brutal disfigurement as Luffy appeared above him and dropped both feet on his head, burying him in the sand and sending him into the land of unconsciousness. Luffy looked up just in time to see Shizuku punch Buchi. It was a simple punch with nothing special about it. Though, Buchi would disagree with that statement as the power behind it sent him flying before comically skidding across the ocean and disappearing into the horizon. Shizuku put her hand above her eyes and looked to the horizon, hoping to see where the large cat-man-weirdo ended up. It was quite a cute scene to Luffy.

"Buchi! Sham!" Jango cried out in despair. The paralysing fear he felt only escalated when he heard a voice that terrified him more than anything.

"What is going here?!" Shouted a well-dressed man in a black suit and spectacles. He stood at the top of the slope, not too far away from Ussop with a stony expression on his face.

Luffy, for his part, didn't even pay the newcomer any mind. He was busy staring at Shizuku and Kuina with an adorable heartbroken look on his face that made both girls feminine instincts go haywire. They had to work hard to stop themselves from glomping him on the spot and smothering his face in their bountiful breasts, even the emotionless Shuziku fell victim to it.

"These guys are so weeeeeeak." He complained in a whiny tone of voice that amused both his crew members greatly, though Shizuku being the kuudere she is, masked it perfectly.

Kuro, who was still standing at the top of the hill, was glaring daggers in their direction. Not only did they ruin his plans they also paid him absolutely no regard whatsoever. It was an insult that he couldn't take lying down. He decided that these brats needed to be taught a lesson in respect. He unlatched the case at his side before slipping on his special gloves that were tipped with almost katana length blades on each finger. They looked quite menacing. The blades gleamed in the sunlight as Kuro directed his murderous intentions towards the people in front of him.

"My patience has worn thin. To think, the once mighty Black Cat Pirates were taken out like common fodder by a bunch of nameless children. It seems that these years apart have dulled your already feeble minds even further. However, I am going to give you one more chance. Jango! Go to the mansion and complete your part of the mission before I decide to express my displeasure towards you in a way that you definitely won't enjoy." Kuro ordered in a cold tone of voice that brokered no argument from his former second in command who was quivering in his boots.

Kuro looked towards the impertinent brats who dared get in the way of his plans and what he saw made the vein on his forehead throb violently. The boy in black was casually conversing with both his companions without a care in the world, probably saying something ridiculous if his over the top hand gestures and the laughter from the girl with the sword was anything to go by. They were completely disregarding his presence.

Jango, seeing the murderous look in his captains (former) eyes, took off like the hounds off hell were on his trail. He stepped over the downed bodies of his crew in an attempt to get as far away from there as possible. He knew first-hand how dangerous it was to be in the immediate vicinity if Captain Kuro was planning to fight. The only thoughts in his mind though was getting to the mansion as soon as possible to carry put his orders. Hopefully, after this is done, he can get as far away from his former captain as possible. He didn't get to linger on his thoughts though as he felt a hit on the back of his neck before darkness took over his consciousness.

Kuro was startled when he heard the sound of a body hitting the floor behind him. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Jango lying in a heap on the ground. He wondered at first whether the idiot tripped over his own feet, but disregarded that notion when he felt his skin tingle and every instinct in his body scream out to him in panic. He noticed that he now had the full attention of the children in front of him. Kuro felt his alarm bells go off when he saw Jango's glasses in the boy's hand. The little cretin was somehow able to get past him and back without him ever noticing. For a man that prided himself in his speed, it was a sobering thought. He realised that he needed to take these brats seriously or they could cause his plans even more damage.

"Kuina, you're up. Don't take him lightly. He got his bounty for a reason. Keep your eyes peeled and expect a few dirty tricks. This isn't an honour duel, it's a fight and I know I don't have to tell you that you should use every advantage you have. I will intervene if things start looking bad, but I'm positive it won't come to that. I have full confidence in you." Luffy advised with a look of absolute certainty aimed at his first mate.

Kuina felt herself heating up under the sureness of his gaze. It still boggled her mind after all these weeks spent with him just how much influence her captain had over her. A single gaze from him could kill any doubts she had in herself in an instant. While she knew in her mind that it wasn't really a healthy relationship to have, it helped her overcome her personal demons for now. She vowed to get stronger though, not just for herself, but for her captain too. With that though in mind, she squared her shoulders and coolly walked towards Kuro. Like a lioness stalking her prey, even her walk was filled with the deadly grace of a superior predator.

Kuro didn't feel that way if the sneer he sent towards her was any indication. He was actually insulted that the boy sent a flimsy little girl to fight him when he was clearly the one in charge of their little rag-tag group. It was just another insult that the little shit directed towards him. Kuro decided that maybe stringing this girl up by her entrails may sooth the raw fury that he was currently experiencing. One way or another though, none of them were leaving this island alive. There can be no witnesses to ruin his masterful plan. That included the village liar and the rest of his 'crew'.

Kuina remained as cool as a cucumber under the deathly glare of the infamous 'Kuro of a thousand plans'. He mind and body was sharpened and ready for battle. He captain was counting on her to clean up this piece of filth, and she wasn't about to fail him. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before snapping her eyes open. She swiftly drew Wadou Ichimonji and got into a preparatory stance. Inviting Kuro to come and get her.

Kuro just looked at her in disdain before taking a few rapid footsteps, causing him to disappear.

Kuina's eyes momentarily widened as she was honestly caught off guard, not expecting such speed from the man. It was only her pure, battle hardened instincts that saved her from being eviscerated by Kuro's claws. She did take a shallow cut to her abdomen though. As she backtracked, to regain her bearings, she decided that she needed to take this fight absolutely seriously.

Kuro once again started his fancy footwork, but this time Kuina was prepared for him. As he disappeared, she brought her sword up over her back to stop the slash aimed at the back of her neck.

Kuro's eyes showed the shock he was feeling, as he never expected the girl to be able to follow his speed.

Kuina, for her part, didn't have a hard time following Kuro now that she knew what to expect for the most part. If it was her from a few weeks ago, Kuina had no doubt that she would have been diced into little pieces. But after meeting her captain and experiencing the training that he put her through in the time since they met…Kuro felt like just another bounty. Compared to her captain's speed, Kuro was moving at a snail's pace. She had to work hard to get her eyes and her body to the level that they could at least somewhat track her captain's crazy speed. Kuro was moving much slower in comparison. Now that her eyes had properly adjusted to his technique, she could go on the offensive.

As Kuro disappeared once again, Kuina bided her time, suckering him in. Predictably, he went for her back once again. Kuina, anticipating this, was already in the motion of a forward fall. She planted her left hand on the ground and used it as a fulcrum to launch a backward kick to his head that rattled his skull and sent him staggering back. Wasting no time, Kuina kipped back up and used her momentum to spin with the flow of her body and slashed across Kuro's unguarded chest, leaving a deep gash that drew quite a bit of blood. It would have been fatal if Kuro didn't have the sense of mind to tilt his body backwards at the last moment.

As he staggered, clutching his bleeding chest, Kuina pressed on with her counter-offensive. Elegant slashes were directed at Kuro, forcing him to backtrack, lest he be carved like a thanksgiving turkey. His head, hand, torso and even his feet. No place was off limits to Kuina's masterful swordplay. It took every ounce of his being to avoid the strikes from Kuina and wait for some kind of opening.

Unfortunately for Kuro, he was still recovering from the surprise injury that Kuina inflicted upon him, as he never expected a no-name girl to be able to follow his speed. He had let his guard down.

Kuina wasn't giving him any breathing space as she continued to press her attack. Kuro, knowing that he needed to do something, used the long length that his blades presented his and dragged up some dirt and threw it in her eyes.

The unexpected action caused her to stop in her tracks and clutch her eyes in an effort to clean them out. By this time, Kuro was sufficiently composed as he regained his bearings.

"I'll admit, you were better than I expected and may have underestimated you a little. No matter, this will end it." Kuro declared, as he started to swing from side to side. He started to go on some long tangent about his master plan. Implicating Morgan and Jango as well as all the other details that he thought would make it seem like he was a criminal mastermind. But to his to his immense fury, as he looked around, Kuina wasn't even listening to him. She was busy inspecting her blade and Luffy and Shizuku were playing an intense game of Go Fish, which Luffy was losing badly.

"Oh? Are you done yet? Okay, let's continue now that your cliché 'creepy-villain-who's-about-to-get-his-ass-kicked' monologue is out of the way." Kuina said with a look in her eyes that seemed to say that she was looking at a cockroach. It was filled with disdain and contempt.

Kuro, seeing the attitude they were showing him, lost his cool. His swaying finally came to a stop. He looked at Kuina with a bloodthirsty grin and bloodshot eyes that promised pain.

" **Shakushi"**

He declared, before disappearing with even greater speed than before.

Kuina didn't even look fazed at this development. In fact, she looked bored. So much so that she actually sheathed her sword. The reason was understood a few seconds later as there was a scream of agony that came from behind her. She nonchalantly looked over her shoulder to see Kuro on his knees, with a puddle of blood pooling at his feet. He looked to be in a lot of pain. His eyes were bulging and he was foaming at the mouth.

"YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" He screamed in fury.

Kuina just looked at him with an uninterested stare.

"I real sword wielder can decided what he or she wants to cut. Their precision and finesse with a blade should never be underestimated. You, Kano, are a one trick pony. You already gave away your greatest strength at the beginning of the fight. If this fight dragged on, I'm sure there was a chance that I would lose. But there was no need for me to have some epic battle with someone that really wasn't worth my time. So when you were still trying to recover from the slash to the chest, and were dodging all my follow up strikes, you weren't really dodging as well as you thought. I was purposely missing you. Only leaving delicate cuts in the places that I wanted. For example, the cut on your Achilles tendon. It was such a minute cut that you probably never noticed it. But extreme pressure on the area of the cut would cause it to tear open even further, disabling you. So you see, Kenta, you never stood a chance against me. For all your vaunted 'plans', in the end, you fell to one so simple it's actually laughable. Now, I'd love to stay and chat, notice the sarcasm, but my captain has business to deal with here and we have a new bounty to add to our treasury. Goodbye, Captain Kain." Kuina said cruelly before stomping so hard on his head that she actually buried it in the ground. The sound of Kuro's glasses shattering and his nose breaking was cringe worthy.

Thus ended the rein of the man once known as Captain Kuro. He wanted his name forgotten by his enemies. Ironically, his last enemy didn't even deem him worthy of having his name remembered.

"Damn, if I wasn't such a cold hearted bastard, I might actually feel sorry for the guy. You really did a number on him Kuina, just like I knew you would. Good job." Luffy praised as he and Shizuku walked towards her, Luffy giving a cheesy thumbs up in congratulations.

In response, Kuina stood up a little straighter and puffed her impressive chest out in pride at being praised by her captain. Happy to have followed his orders. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Shizuku was staring at her strangely. It may have been Kuina's imagination but she could have sworn that Shizuku was glaring at her in jealousy. It was hard to tell though with her having 'emotionless robot' as her default expression. Kuina decided that she was better off not poking at that particular beehive.

As Luffy surveyed the battle field, he noticed the long-nosed teen that was opposing the pirates when they first got here. The guy was out cold but seemed to be alive. Luffy threw him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes and made his way towards the village with his crew in tow. They ran into a young blonde girl on the way who tentatively offered to show them her home so that the boy, who she said was called Ussop, could be treated.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

"You knew my father! Really!" Ussop shouted in excitement and disbelief.

"Yeah, his captain, Shanks, docked at my village when I was younger and they stayed for a while. I know about you because you were all Yassop would ever talk about. I honestly feel that I know all about you even though that this is the first time that we've met." Luffy replied.

Ussop had stars in his eyes as he heard the stories Luffy told him about his father.

"Wow, to think that my dad is the sniper on the ship of one of the Yonkou." Ussop expressed his admiration.

"Yeah, we was a real crack shot. I once saw him pin a fly to a tree by its wings from like 500 meters away. He was scary good." Luffy commented. "I promised him that I would seek you out once I started my journey and he asked that I deliver this note to you."

They were currently in the lounge of the mansion of Kaya, the young blonde girl that was a friend of Ussop. Said girl was currently fretting over the condition of her butler, Merry. After he was attacked by Kuro, he lost a lot of blood. He was currently out of danger but it will take a while for him to be back at 100 percent. It was decided that he will be shipped to an island with a bigger hospital.

After reading the note, Ussop had tears of happiness flowing from his eyes at finally having some contact with his father. He declared that even though he wanted to become a brave warrior of the sea, he would stay behind and take care of Kaya for the time being until she was better. Then the both of them will set out on a journey. Said girl just blushed prettily at his declaration causing Luffy to laugh at their predicament. Kaya offered them the use of the ship her butler built, but Luffy politely decline, saying that they should keep it from themselves for when they set out.

After friendly farewells and new friendships forged, Luffy and his crew set sail from Gecko Islands.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Luffy, Kuina and Shizuku were currently making their way through Bravi Town, on the Tempo Island. It was a relatively average sized island in the East Blue and one that had a Marine Base which was where the crew was heading. They had with them the once presumed dead Captain Kuro, who Shizuku was dragging along without any care for his wellbeing.

What was even more disturbing to Luffy was the exceptional skill that Shizuku displayed with a rope and how intricately she trussed up Kuro. The sadistic glint that she had in her eyes contrasting with her usual emotionless expression didn't help assuage his anxieties either. He decided, for the sake of whatever little sanity that he had left, that questioning his navigators skills in shibari was something that his didn't ever need to know.

They were met with looks of shock and horror when they dropped slapped Kuro's body on the reception desk of the Marine base. Many having thought he was dead and many still feared his reputation. The guy in charge of handing out bounties moved mechanically as he left to fetch their 16 million beli.

Luffy was just amused at their reactions. As they waited in the lobby, an interesting exchange made its way to their ears.

"That bitch has finally gone too far this time. I'm glad that they finally locked her away." Said nameless Marine grunt #1.

"She always has been a loose cannon. Always arguing against the principles of Justice and disobeying orders. She's more like a pirate than a Marine if you ask me." Replied nameless Marine grunt #2.

"The only thing she had going for her was her sniping skills, but even that can be ignored when her attitude is so disgusting. I'm glad they are going to execute her tomorrow. It will serve as a good example to other Marines who think of sympathising with pirates." Added nameless Marine grunt #3.

Luffy was suddenly very interested in this woman they speaking about. She seemed to be outspoken and a bit rowdy. Just his kind of person. Not to mention, she was a sniper. He had hoped that he could recruit Ussop for the position, but the guy had other responsibilities now, and Luffy wasn't prepared to take him away from them. It seemed though, that his devil's luck came through once again and a seemingly perfect crew member fell into his lap. He had to work hard to keep the maniacal grin off his face.

Kuina could only sigh in defeat at the face her captain was making. She had no doubts that he was plotting some manner of mischief. If the conversation that they overheard was any indication, she had a pretty good idea where this was going. She knew she couldn't complain though as when her captain causes trouble, she knew she would be there right beside him, raising hell. She exchanged glances with Shizuku and a mutual understanding was reached between the two ladies at their captain's probable course of action and how to deal with it.

As the three of them walked out of the bounty office, earnings securely in hand, Kuina brought up the topic.

"So when are we going to do this, senchō?" Kuina questioned.

Luffy looked at her with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. It was honestly comical at how caught off guard he was by his two girls.

"You honestly didn't think that we wouldn't figure out what you were up to? I think we both know you well enough now to know when to spot when you are cooking up one of your crazy schemes that will probably cause nothing but trouble. Honestly, you're like a walking calamity." Kuina stated with a deadpan expression on her face.

Luffy just seemed sheepish at her comment and rubbed the back of his head with a mild blush on his face.

"Master. Predictable. Troublemaker." Shizuku added her own thoughts, causing Luffy to crouch in a corner with a raincloud above his head, drawing circles in the ground with his finger. Shizuku tilted her head cutely in confusion and Kuina just rolled her eyes at his behaviour, but there was a smile in her face nonetheless.

Luffy sprung up from his position, doing a complete 180, and pointing heroically to the sky.

"I've decided. I will break out this renegade Marine sniper and make her part of our crew." He declared dramatically. All he heard in response though was the chirping of crickets in the background. He looked to see both his companions looking at him with deadpan stares that completely deflated him. He pouted childishly before turning and walking back to their ship with the girls in tow, silently amused by his childish behaviour.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

As night fell on Bravi Town, all was silent. The moon provided an eerie backdrop to the uneasy atmosphere of the town. Doors were locked and people decided not to venture out of their homes.

In the dungeons of the Maine base, in a single cell, was a beautiful young woman. She was just above average in terms of height, standing at about 5 ft 7 inches. She was dressed in nothing but rags that barely covered her modesty. It displayed quite a bit of her porcelain skin that was marred with dirt. She had a svelte figure with high C-cup breasts and generous hips. Overall she had quite a curvy physique. She had long straight green hair that reached down to her lower back with a long set of bangs framing her face with the lower section of her hair tied into a thick braid. Her facial features were sharp, with forest green eyes, and had the underlying threat of danger is one were to cross her. All in all, she had a deadly beauty about her that was both frightening and tempting at the same time.

"Hypocritical assholes." She swore under her breath as she tried to manoeuvre her body while attempting to pick up a shard of metal lying on the floor with her toes. She was having no luck thus far and it was compounding her frustrations of the events so far even further.

She was sent with a team to patrol the area and did so without complaint. It was the regular routine in her boring life thus far and she carried out her duties mechanically. What really got to her was when she came across her 'comrades' hassling what appeared to be a local woman and her son. They went on a tangent about how her son was the child of a pirate and that they should be thrown in prison or executed for having relations with a pirate.

She always considered herself a woman of good character and morals. While she was a bit of a wild child, she was never one to resort to bullying or extortion for kicks. She was always one to be outspoken about the absurdity about the so-called 'Absolute Justice' and how it went against the very principles of what justice stood. Seeing her fellow Marines treat an innocent woman and child this way, not for the first time, she kind of lost it and attacked them when they started getting frisky with the mother. She couldn't stand people like this. They were no better than the people they were supposed to be arresting in her eyes. Not that she had anything against pirates, but she needed to do something that paid the bills and with her skillset, this seemed like the safest option.

Her actions didn't go unanswered however, as she was court martialled and stripped of her clothing and weapons and thrown into this dungeon. She didn't even get a proper meal in two days. She was reaching her brink and didn't know how much longer she could last.

"You seem to be in a bit of a pickle. Perhaps I can be of assistance." A smooth voice called out in the darkness of her cell that made her go rigid in fear. She didn't see anyone coming in, which she would have as it was a small cell. She looked around fretfully and stopped when she saw a pair of purple eyes glowing in the eerie gloom of her cell. The person stepped forward to reveal a handsome looking young man, probably not a year or two younger than her, dressed in black leather. He had an extremely confident and assured demeanour about him that made it seem like he was always in total control of everything he does.

He stopped the middle of her cell, casually standing there and staring into her eyes like he was striping her bare and gazing at her very soul, judging her for everything she was worth. It unnerved her greatly.

"Who the hell are you? And how the fuck did you get in here?!" She demanded, trying to appear confident and unafraid, but something about this man set her on edge. From the way he looked at her, it appeared that her act didn't really do her any good.

"My name is Monkey D. Luffy, and the reason I'm here is to break you out." He commented nonchalantly. Her eyes bugged at his declaration.

"Are you crazy?! Why on earth would I allow you to do that?! I will probably only be here for a few more days before they let me go!" She sneered at him. Luffy just shook his head in pity.

"Firstly, you couldn't stop me from breaking you out even if you tried. Secondly, and I hate to break it to you, but you are going to be executed tomorrow." He replied without even a hint of sympathy. Her eyes widened at his answer and her mind was going into some sort of denial at what he said. "They announced it to the town just after I got to this island. They are making a big spectacle of it. Saying something about showing the town what happens to those traitors who go against the doctrine of the Marines." He added.

She was absolutely crushed at what she heard. She wanted to deny what this man was saying, but she knew better. His words made so much sense to her that it was painful. She spent enough time in the system to know how the Marines work. And this sounds like exactly the kind of thing that they would do. She felt like crying at the fate that awaited her, but she didn't want to show any weakness. She was a strong woman.

"Tell me…What is your name?" Luffy questioned.

She heard the question, and looked up at him, almost forgetting that he was there.

"Bisca." She replied softly.

"Bisca. Nice name. Like I said Bisca, I'm here to break you out. I was actually planning on offering you a place on my pirate crew." He responded.

Bisca's eyes snapped to him in bewilderment.

"What would make you think that I would want to join a pirate crew of all things? I'm not a bad guy." She declared.

Luffy, at hearing her response, let out a long suffering sigh. He looked at her with a little pity, something that made her flinch as she felt like a little girl being scolded by her teacher.

"I didn't think you were that naïve. Next you'll probably tell me that all Marine are good guys too, right?" He asked her blandly, causing her face to heat up and look down in embarrassment. She knew first hand that the world doesn't necessarily work that way. "You should know better than anyone that the world isn't all black and white. Not all Marines are good just as not all pirates are bad. I have never, nor will I ever, intentionally hurt innocent bystanders in my business. I may be a pirate, but even I have a moral code that I follow. The reason I became a pirate was for the freedom that it offered me. Freedom to be who I am and do what I want. I love fighting, food and most importantly, my friends. I only asked because I though you would make a good crew member. Anyone who can stand up for their beliefs, knowing what might happen, is someone I'd have liked to be friends with. Anyway, you aren't obligated to join, I was going to free you anyways. There is a boat on the far side of the island, you can use it to leave. I would advise getting off the island as soon as possible." Luffy said, before using his sword to cut her free from the shackles that restrained her. Once that was done, he started walking away.

Bisca held her head down in a little shame at what Luffy said to her. She was always one of the most open-minded people in the Marines and prided herself on never judging people based on their circumstances. Which was why she was ashamed of her reaction, it was something that she would expect from the other idiots in the Marines, the same ones that are planning on executing her. She knew she was on the precipice of a life changing decision. She didn't know what to do. All she's done to this point was merely to get by. She never entertained any selfish delusions of having grand adventures or dangerous battles. She knew she had to act quickly though.

"Wait!" She called out to Luffy. He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. She took a moment to look directly at him. Showing him that she was serious. "I'm not stupid enough to think that I won't be labelled as a criminal if I walk out of here. And if I stay, I will probably be killed for doing my job, just so that they can make an example out of me. It may be selfish of me…but I want to live!" She professed strongly, her eyes becoming a little teary at the cacophony of emotions she was experiencing.

"It isn't selfish to want that. It isn't a sin to live, Bisca." Luffy told her, his eye softening and his voice containing the warmth and caring that his other crew members have come to love.

"If I come with you, will you promise to never hurt me? I don't want to be some faceless grunt. If I come with you, my name will be dragged through the mud and I will be declared an enemy of the Marines. Can you protect me from that?" She questioned earnestly.

"I can't promise that you won't get hurt. I'm planning on making large waves in this world. There will be many enemies, Marines, pirates, bandits and even bounty hunters. I can't claim to be the strongest, buy I have confidence in my strength. I can't always be there, but I can make sure you are strong enough to protect yourself. My crew isn't very large, and I plan on keeping it that way. If you join, it will take our numbers up to four, you included. What I can promise you is that I will protect you and the rest of my crew to the best of my ability. I will be your friend, colleague and confidant of you want me to be. My crew will be my family. I have large aspirations, the only thing that can stop me from accomplishing my goals will be death. I plan on being the Pirate King in the future, are you prepared to take that next step and come with me as I throw this world into chaos? Join my family, Bisca." Luffy answered as he held out his hand to her with a kind smile on her face.

Bisca felt his word resonate with her. Ever since she was young, growing up in the orphanage, she always felt that she didn't belong. She always stood out because of her looks and her outspoken attitude. She joined the Marines because it was expected of her. All the orphans joined. She just wanted to fit in with everyone else. She wanted to be accepted. She didn't want to be alone. And now, as she stands here in this cell, it seems what she was searching for all this time found her instead. His words made her chest swell in anticipation. His strength of character and confidence in what he was saying won her over. She knew that her mind was already made up. She could finally find a place that she truly belonged. Where she didn't have to hide herself in fear of being ostracized. She looked into those mesmerising purple eyes and felt herself being drawn in. She held out her hand to him and he took it in hers. She could feel the rough callouses on his palm in contrast to her soft, delicate hand.

"Very well, I will join you, you silver tongued devil!" She declared with a resigned smile on her face. There was something about this man that just made her want to trust him. She was never one to ignore her instincts and they were telling her that he was being truthful. She had nothing to lose anyway, so maybe going on an adventure with this crazy pirate may be worth it. Plus, it will be like spitting in the face of those assholes who tried to have her killed for doing her job.

She was a little taken aback at the complete 180 he did, in terms of his emotions. His face lit up like the sun and he grabbed her in a celebratory hug, swinging her around, laughing all the while. She was a little confused as he seemed like such a dangerous man, but seeing this side of him made her choice seem all that more appealing. He was a fun guy and she could definitely get down with that.

"Shishishi, sorry about that. I just got a bit too excited." He apologised while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, causing Bisca to giggle at him. Her new captain seemed to be a giant softy. Not that she really minded. She preferred this. Seeing her giggle caused him to grin at her. "We should probably get out of here as soon as possible. I knocked out the guards in the surrounding area so we probably have till sunrise to get out of here. More than enough time."

"I would like to get cleaned up first. I also need to get my clothes. And my weapons. We might as well take any ammunition in the base as they won't be needing it anytime soon." Bisca replied. Luffy just looked at her with a sly grin.

"Look at you. Only a minute into piracy and already planning on looting a Marine base. I knew I liked you for a reason." Luffy teased.

Bisca felt her blush rising at his comments before she playfully slapped her captain's arm causing him to clutch it as though she dropped a boulder on him. She just rolled her eyes good-naturedly at his antics, inwardly happy at having chosen to follow this strange yet highly charismatic man.

They wasted little time in looting the base for everything that they needed. Luffy's powers coming in real handy for making a stealthy escape.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Luffy stepped on his boat to find Kuina running a whetstone over Wadou Ichimonji and Shizuku quietly reading a book as she sat in her chair.

They both looked up when they heard his arrival. He gave them both a goofy grin and a cheesy thumbs up.

"Mission accomplished." He announced.

"I never once doubted you, senchō. I know first-hand how manipulative you can be." Kuina replied to him. Shizuku nodded her head blankly in agreement.

"Master. Sneaky." She said. Luffy felt the arrows with the words 'manipulative' and 'sneaky', pierce his heart as they spoke the words. He retreated into his corner to sulk at the unfair treatment from his crew. Kuina and Shizuku shared an amused glance at his childish behaviour.

"It true. I felt like I was selling my soul to the devil." A new voice added. Luffy looked towards the front of the ship to see that Bisca had finally arrived. She had split off from him to go get herself cleaned up and equipped.

In contrast to the dirt and rags he saw her in before, her new outfit consisted of a revealing bikini top covered in dark stripes below an open, dark button vest. A similarly coloured skirt adorned by a series of light stripes hanging down from it in the middle part covers her lower body, whilst a pair of high heeled cowgirl boots decorated by matching stripes are on her feet. Also present are a set of armbands circling her biceps, paired by darker, simple long bands around her wrists. Dark red cowgirl hat with a curved-up brim adorned by lighter coloured band covered in large studs. She had two flintlock pistols holstered at her hips and two more tucked away at the back of her waist. She also carried a large calibre rifle in her hands.

Luffy gave an appreciative whistle at her appearance.

"You clean up nicely, Bisca." He commented. Said woman just blushed a little in embarrassment from his praise. It was a weird feeling for her as he didn't seem to be showing any kind of lust, just genuine appreciation. "Oh! Let me introduce you the others. The dangerous looking lady with the sword is my first-mate, Kimishima Kuina."

"The Pirate Huntress?" Bisca inquired, having heard that name before.

"Ugh…I never liked that name. Those stupid Marines just started calling me that all of a sudden." Kuina complained.

"The kuudere that reading a book over there is our navigator, Saotome Shizuku." He pointed with his thumb, which got him a comically large rock thrown in his direction from the aforementioned woman, not taking too kindly to the kuudere comment. Luckily for Luffy, he was able to dodge the large projectile.

Bisca just sweat dropped at the antics of her new friends. Clearly they were a free-spirited bunch. Maybe a little too free spirited. Honestly, she was wondering whether she would be able to hang on to her sanity whilst being surrounded by this may crazies.

"Anyway, introduce yourself." Luffy urged.

"Umm…well, my name is Busujima Bisca. I'm really good with a gun. And I don't really have any lofty dreams so far. I guess I just want to be free." She said. Luffy just beamed at her, making her feel a little happy at making a good first impression. Her fellow crew members welcomed her with open arms and she finally felt a little sense of belonging. She decided that it wasn't such a bad choice to follow her new captain.

"Well, now that introductions are over, let's get out of here as soon as possible. Bisca, do you have everything that you need?" Luffy aasked.

"Yes boss." She replied, causing Luffy to face-plant. She just looked at him in confusion. Kuina smirked to herself and Shizuku hid her mischievous looking eyes behind her book. They both decided that the new girl fit in perfectly.

"Luffy! My name is Luffy!" He protested to a confused Bisca.

"I know that already boss." She responded.

Luffy just froze in place, with a strained smile in his face. He was honestly freaking Bisca out a bit. She went over to Kuina, who she figured knew him the best.

"Umm…Kuina-san? Is the boss going to be okay?" She inquired, she could have sworn she heard something shatter behind her. Kuina just looked at her amusedly.

"He's fine. It's just that our captain has a real flair for the dramatics." She replied.

"NOOOOOOoooooooo!" Luffy cried out to the heavens at what he perceived was emotional abuse from the girls in his crew, who just ignored him and went about making sure that they could safely set sail.

Just another day in the chaotic life of the future Pirate King.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Author Note:**

 **I just entered the mid-semester break yesterday, so hopefully I can get some more writing done in this next week. I'll try to update my other stories as well.**

 **There's only two more chapters left in the East Blue saga. I will to Don Krieg and Arlong next. Luffy won't be messing around anymore as he only has one more position left to fill before he heads off to the Grand Line.**

 **It feels like this chapter was a bit rushed but I honestly want to get through these next few chapters quickly and get to the Grand Line.**

 **As you can see, I tried to give Ussop a somewhat happy ending. I plan on doing something similar for Nami as well.**

 **Kuina was the one who took out Kuro, and she made it look easy. I was in no mood to entertain Kuro and his bullshit. Expect similar endings for Don Krieg and Arlong. Pain and humiliation will be the order of the day.**

 **As she mentioned, I can always write the scenes, but in-between all the main stuff, I want you to keep in mind that Luffy is always training and he drags his crew along to train with him.**

 **Bisca is finally here. I wanted to something a little different with her so I hope you like her. I will try to develop more of the girl's personality as the stories go on, similar to what I'm trying to do with Luffy.**

 **As you can see, the running gag with Luffy's crew members is still ongoing. None of them have called him by his name yet. Poor guy.**

 **I need a good name for their ship. I plan on their name being the 'Blood Moon Pirates'. I want a cool ship name that ties in with that. I already have Artemis for the one that Franky will build. Send over some suggestions.**

 **I'm also a bit stuck for Luffy's epithet. These are the options so far:**

 **The Calamity King**

 **The Archfiend**

 **What do you think? Let me know.**

 **Anyway, that's enough blabbing for now, thanks for taking the time to read this. Look out for the next chapter.**

 **Lionheart021 out!**


	5. Chapter 4

_**Author Note:**_

 _ **Okay, before I get started with this chapter, let me take this time to address a few things.**_

 _ **To Namikaze Uzumaki Potter: The reason I named them the Blood Moon Pirates was honestly an accident. I was actually thinking of going with 'Roaring Thunder' or 'Live Wire' or 'Electric Blue' while I was still in development, to tie in with his devil fruit. But I put in that he was born during the red moon in the prologue because I wanted to give him a unique day to be born. I was also considering a leap year, the winter solstice or an eclipse. That led me to thinking about the red moon. I know in a few novel's I've read, certain cultures sometimes call it the blood moon, due to some local folklore. I thought that would be a pretty badass name for a pirate crew, so I went with it.**_

 _ **This is the penultimate chapter of the East Blue saga, so things will be moving along pretty quickly. I'll try to cover as much as needed, but if I miss a few things, I apologise. I will gloss over the parts with Fullbody, Gin and Don Krieg, in terms of their dialogues. I simply don't care enough about them to give them that such screen time (page time?). So just go with it. I'm trying to get this part over with as quickly as possible.**_

 _ **To the guest reviewer who suggested I give Luffy the epithet of 'Manwhore'….BWAHAHAHA! Thank you for making my day. I laughed so hard that I fell off my chair. It's an absolutely brilliant idea! I would love to use it in this story but I want my Luffy to be taken a little more seriously. I was always planning on doing a kind of spin-off of this story for all the crazy idea's that I have that didn't fully fit in. I will definitely use your idea in the future. Look forward to it.**_

 _ **Also, the sword. Let me make it clear…Luffy is not, nor will he ever be a swordsman. I just think swords are cool. Ever since episode 23, where Mihawk cut a fucking Galleon in half…that was way too badass. So don't expect Luffy to use his sword often, it's mainly for show as well a memento from his mother. He will cut the occasional Marine ship in half, but that might be it. He's primarily a close combat fighter. I mean, as a pirate captain, having a sword is a must.**_

 _ **As most of you know by now, the next recruit will be Reiju. I would like to make it clear that I have only skimmed the newest chapters of One Piece and haven't really done an in-depth reading. So don't expect any of the pre-conceived notions about her to carry out. I will give her my own personality and abilities, think of her as a semi-OC. She will have Sanji's fighting style, but I will give her some new dimensions of offence that I think might fit in with the role I want to give her.**_

 _ **Another issue I would like to get out of the way...yes I said it would be a harem…but please don't operate under the impression that romance will be a central point in this story. It will not! Don't expect any love triangles and other such relationship drama…that will not be happening. They are pirates, so the rules of society don't really apply to them, and they don't give a shit about it anyway. If any romance does happen, and it won't happen for a long, long, long time…it will be as a secondary, or tertiary factor in the story. Although, expect Luffy to accidentally charm a few women. It won't lead anywhere, but that's the fun of the gag. I'm actually thinking of him having an unintentional harem/ fan club amongst some female marines…just for kicks.**_

 _ **Anyway…enough of that…let's get on with it…**_

Disclaimer: As much as I wish it, I do not own One Piece…It belongs to that glorious bastard Eiichiro Oda

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 4: Damn!**

It was a beautiful day, with the sun smiling down on the tranquil sea, with nary a cloud in the sky. A cool breeze blew through the air as Luffy and his crew ambled along in their boat.

He was currently on the deck, lying on his back with his hands crossed behind his head and his right leg crossed over his left knee, taking in the sight of the clear sky above him.

Kuina was towards the back of the boat, taking practice swings with her sword, keeping her skills sharp. While she did win against Kuro, she knew she could have done better. If he was a more competent fighter, she would have been in trouble. She didn't want to be coming up short like that ever again.

Shizuku was sitting in her regular chair, reading one of the many books she seems to have in her collection. She was relaxing and enjoying the weather as well, but she was also keeping a close eye on their course.

The newest member, Bisca, was cleaning out her pistols and making sure they were ready for action.

It was a quiet day for the crew. One that was eventually broken by their captain.

"I'm bored." He drawled out. "Hey Kuina, are there any pirate crews in this area of the sea with a notable bounty that we could go mess up?" Luffy questioned eagerly.

"Sorry senchō, I haven't been this far out in East Blue. This is unfamiliar waters for me." Kuina replied.

"Bicsa, what about you? You were with the Marines. Any info about this area?"

"Hmmm…I can't be too sure as I was mostly put on patrols around the island, but I think I heard whispers of Don Krieg being spotted in these waters a while ago." She replied.

"Don Krieg eh? I think he had about 17 million on his head. That will add nicely to our growing bank balance. Let's get searching then. Shizuku, any islands close by?"

"Negative. Floating Restaurant Baratie. North. 8 kilometers away." Shizuku blankly answered.

"Hoh…a floating restaurant. That sounds interesting. I am a little hungry. We might even pick up a cook for our crew. It's settled. Shizuku, set course for the Baratie!" Luffy ordered, before falling back into position, being too lazy to get anything else done, getting a sweat-drop from Bisca, who noticed Kuina and Shizuku ignore his behavior, like it was a common occurrence. She felt a headache coming along at the thought of the crazy antics her new captain is likely to get up to if his unpredictable personality is anything to go by.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

As the gang pulled up to the Baratie, they took the time to marvel at its unique design.

It was a large ship anchored in the middle of the ocean. There were at least three levels to it and quite a spacious deck. The strangest part though was the giant fish-head figure head at the front of the boat. Bisca scrunched up her nose at the ugly design while Luffy thought it looked pretty cool.

They all noticed the Marine ship that was docked beside them, but didn't make any fuss about it as they were currently just 'bounty hunters'. There was no need for trouble, unless they started it. They were forced to prepare a disguise for Bisca though, as they had no doubt that her face would be circulating local Marine bases in order to facilitate her capture.

With help from Kuina and Shizuku, she was able to put together a reasonable disguise. It would fool most people unless they were much sharper or were deliberately looking for her. Considering the idiots patrolling this part of the sea, Luffy wasn't too worried. Besides, if they did see through the disguise, he would just have to have a private word with them about their treatment of his new sniper. Something that would be quite painful for them. They were close to the Grand Line as well, so the guise of being bounty hunters wasn't one he was going to perpetuate like he had before. He would just let things happen and let the chips fall where they will.

The group of four quietly made their way into the restaurant and took up a table at the far corner. It gave them a good view of all the happenings of the place, plus it was close enough to the exit if they needed to make a stealthy getaway.

They spotted the Marine that was probably in charge of the ship they saw. He had a horrible fake tan, along with a few scars in his face as hell as bubblegum pink hair that made Luffy snicker. His worries about Bisca vanished at the sight of this idiot.

The guy was currently going on about all his accomplishments as a lieutenant, clearly trying to impress his date. His breath caught in his throat though, when he spotted a woman coming out of the kitchen. Most of the patrons in the restaurant had their eyes on her as she elegantly made her way across the floor.

She was a tall woman, standing at about 5 ft 9 inches. The high heeled pumps she wore pushed her up to about 5 ft 11 inches. She had golden blonde hair that reached just above her neck and was parted to one side covering the left side of her face while showing off her curly shaped eyebrow on the right. Her skin was unblemished and was accentuated by her red lips. One of her most striking features though, was her piercing red eyes. She was dressed in an elegant maroon gown that hugged the mesmerizing curves of her body. Her breasts were large, at least a D-cup, and instantly drew the eyes of many men in the restaurant. The plunging neckline of her dress that showed a tantalizing amount of cleavage didn't help matters at all. The dress reached all the way down to her ankles but had a slit on the right side that went up to just above the middle of her thigh, showing off a provocative view of her alluring legs that look like they were carved out of marble. The red high heeled pumps on her feet finished off her ensemble.

All in all, she was an extremely beautiful woman, one that was bound to draw attention regardless of where she went. Her eyes though, were like glaciers as she looked at the Marine captain, whom she delivered a dish to. He tried to flirt with her, in full view of his date whose mood was rapidly declining, but the woman just looked at him like she was looking at a lower life form. It was a look that could shrink the egos of most men. But this guy was either that confident in himself, or too stupid to recognize the look.

Luffy kept his eye on the woman though, something about her was different. He couldn't place it, but there was something special about her.

As her watched her walk away from the idiot Marine, completely ignoring his advances, he grabbed onto her arm tightly and seemed to threaten her into complying with his demands. The entire staff of the Baratie froze at this. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees as the woman glared at the Marine with contempt, before unleashing a storm of powerful kicks that made most of the men present want to curl up into a ball and cry for their mommies. The end result as a bleeding and battered Marine Lieutenant who was left in the corner of the restaurant without anyone paying him any mind.

The woman dusted herself off and made her way over to Luffy's table, where the occupants were watching her with some interest.

"Welcome to the Baratie. My name is Reiju, and I will be serving you today. May I take your order?" She drawled out, while looking at them coldly. Luffy figured that it was probably her default expression.

He grinned at her, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. It was strange for her as she was used to men throwing themselves at her, but this guy just looked at her with interest that had nothing to do with her body. There was no lust in his gaze. She felt like a lab rat under his intense stare. It honestly unnerved her a bit. The stare down lasted a scant few seconds, but Luffy got the answer he needed. He smiled happily as he ordered.

"I'll have some meat. Four servings should do. Oh, and a bottle of sake for the table."

"I'll take an order of sushi." Kuina said.

"Hmm…get me a fish and chips." Bisca ordered.

"Meat." Shizuku said. "Chicken. Fish. Rice. Sushi. Ham. Pasta." She continued, causing Reiju, who was in the process of writing down the order to freeze in place. She looked at the emotionless Shizuku, who just continued to stare at her blankly, unsure of what was happening.

Luffy just laughed at the voracious appetite of his navigator, she was sometime worse than he was.

"Don't worry, we have the money to pay for all of that." He advised Reiju, who just nodded silently, still not breaking eye contact with Shizuku. After a while, she finally collected herself and made her way to the kitchen, away from the strange group.

"Shishishi, I think we just found ourselves a cook." Luffy said with a grin. Kuina just rolled her eyes, already anticipating her captain saying that from the beating the woman put on that Marine. Shizuku just nodded silently, she would reserve her judgment until she tasted Reiju's cooking. Bisca didn't mind. Anyone who beat up a Marine lieutenant without fear like she did couldn't be that bad of a person.

After a bit of a wait, their dishes were finally brought out. The crew wasted no time in tearing through the meal. They were surprised at how delicious it truly was. Luffy didn't hold back his compliments.

"This tastes delicious! You're a great cook, Reiju." He complimented. Said woman let out the first smile that the crew has seen from her at the honest praise from Luffy. It was a good sight.

"Thank you for your praise. Please enjoy the rest of your meal." She said graciously before making to leave. She was stopped though as a frantic Marine officer came barreling into the restaurant.

"Lieutenant Fullbody, sir! The prisoner has escaped!" He cried out, but Fullbody was out of it, without any sign of waking up soon. The Marine was cut off from any further action by a bullet to the chest from behind. He dropped to the ground to reveal an emaciated looking man that looked like he was on his last legs. He had a gun in his hand as he made his way to one of the tables before demanding food. One of the waiters went up to him and after a small exchange which revealed that the man had no means to pay, he was kicked out of the restaurant after a small beating at the hands of the chef.

Luffy noticed Reiju tense up slightly, before silently making her way to the back. Sensing something was up, he quietly signaled his crew before discreetly following after her.

He was now on the roof towards the back end of the boat, watching the exchange between Reiju and the starving man, identified as Gin. She offered him a free meal. He first refused as he didn't wasn't charity but Reiju reiterated that senseless pride isn't worth dying of hunger over. Gin was touched by her kindness and heartily dug into his meal.

Their attention was drawn by laughter from above and they both spotted Luffy crouching in the roof, watching them.

"Shishishi, I was right about you. You're a good person." He complimented Reiju, causing her cheeks to pink a little at the compliment that came out of nowhere. "I've decided. I want you!" He announced. Causing her eyes to widen and her blush to increase at the bold declaration. Gin almost chocked on his food at the balls Luffy must have had to come out and say that. Reiju was used to guys hitting on her, but thanks to her reputation as an Ice Queen, and her father beating up any idiots that tried anything, none of them ever got anywhere. Not that she would ever entertain those losers. But this guy just up and said he wanted her. He didn't even try to put any of the regular moves on her or try to charm her. She wondered if he was a bit touched in the head. She had to admit though, there was something endearing about him. "You can be the cook in my pirate crew!" Luffy finished. Causing Reiju and Gin to face-plant. Luffy just looked at them strangely before laughing. "Shishishi, you guys are funny."

Reiju regained her bearings quickly though and stared at Luffy like he was an alien existence. She thought he was hitting on her, turns out he didn't seemed to be the least bit interested in her in that way. She noticed it before as well, she didn't leer at her or stare at her breasts. She wondered if he was gay, but disregarded that thought. He didn't seem to be some playboy, even though she noticed that he was surrounded by three extremely beautiful woman. If he was a pirate, that made them his crew. It made a little sense that he would come here to recruit. The Baratie was known for its good food and fighting cooks.

"Sorry, but I refuse." She said coolly. To be honest, the prospect of going out to sea was one that was highly appealing to her. It was one of her dreams of sail out into the unknown. But her father was mightily protective of her and didn't entertain thoughts of her joining a pirate crew, even though she received plenty of offers. She didn't begrudge him that though, as none of those weaklings were ones she would ever want to follow.

"Well, I refuse your refusal. I've decided that you will be my cook. End of story." Luffy stubbornly argued.

Reiju had a tick mark on her forehead at his response. She wanted to argue a little more, but Gin interrupted their conversation.

"So you're a pirate. What exactly is your goal?" He asked Luffy.

"Well, I'm going to be the Pirate King obviously." Luffy stated like it was an undeniable fact. Reiju's eyes widened at the proclamation, and the full confidence he had in his statement.

Gin went on to try to warn Luffy against going to the Grand Line, citing his own crew's failure in that endeavor. Once he finished his argument, he looked to Luffy, only to see him with his pinky finger in his nose, and a half-lidded stare on his face.

"LISTEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO YOU!" Gin shouted at Luffy with look of indignation on his face an exaggerated shark-toothed expression.

Reiju held back the urge to giggle at the strange boy's antics, lest she ruin her Ice Queen image.

"There's nothing to listen. No offence to you, but I don't fear the Grand Line, nor any pirate on it. I have a dream to accomplish and I will set out to do just that. If it means death, then I'll welcome it with open arms, knowing I did my best to follow my dreams." Luffy answered with a serious look on his face, contrast to what the two were used to seeing from him in the short time that they met.

His words, though, echoed within the mind of Reiju, awakening instincts and desires that she long thought she suppressed. There was something about this guy that drew her in like a moth to a flame. She was honestly a bit disconcerted at that.

"I see you're giving away food to unpaying customers again, Reiju." A gruff voice said from behind. He was a stocky looking old man with a peg leg and an unnecessarily tall chef's hat. He had blonde hair that was tied up as well as a ridiculously intricate braided moustache.

Reiju just scoffed in response.

"If it bothers you so much, then take it out of my paycheck."

"Shishishi, there's no need for that. It's on me." Luffy interjected, as he threw a few beli towards the man. "I can't have my cook racking up any expenses." He said mischievously, getting a raised eyebrow from the man.

Reiju just exhaled in annoyance at the guy seemingly not taking no for an answer. She waited for the inevitable to happen, that being her father giving this guy a beating of his life for suggesting that she would be his cook, before the unthinkable happened. Her father stared intensely at him for a few minutes, before smirking at him. Something that made Reiju do a double take.

"What's your name kid?" He asked.

"Shishishi, Monkey D. Luffy. Future Pirate King." Luffy answered with a confident grin.

"Hahahaha…it's been a while since I saw a man such as yourself. The names Zeff. You enjoying my restaurant?" Zeff questioned, as he and Luffy started casually walking back to the restaurant side by side, like they were lifelong friends.

"Shishishi, it's great! The food is delicious. Especially Reiju's." He complimented.

"Hahahaha! I wouldn't expect anything less from my daughter." Zeff praised heartily.

The blush on Reiju's face was reaching atomic levels, from both pride and embarrassment.

"Wait! What the fuck just happened?!" She shouted uncharacteristically. She expected her father to beat the guy up, not to get all chummy with him. She didn't know what to do anymore.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It's been two days since Luffy and his crew docked at the Baratie, and they have been going back every day. Luffy firmly stated that they weren't leaving without Reiju. The girls, knowing how stubborn their captain could be, kicked back and relaxed in this window that they had. They knew it was inevitable the Reiju would join, such was the magnetism of their captain. They all fell victim to it, so they know first-hand that it's only a matter of time.

Luffy went back daily and constantly invited Reiju to his crew, of course his invitations were met with refusals, but it never deterred him. It became somewhat of a contest amongst the patrons and the staff of the Baratie, as to who will break down first.

To the surprise of Reiju, Zeff just laughed at her predicament, but never forbid her from accepting Luffy's offer. It made her even more curious about Luffy, but she didn't want to make it seem as though she was entertaining his offers, even though she secretly was.

Today though, during the peak hours of lunch, Gin burst into the restaurant carrying a bulky looking man with gold plated armour, looking to be half dead. He went on to proclaim that he had money and wanted food for his captain, who was identified as Don Krieg. The chef's refused to serve them, citing Don Krieg's underhanded personality, which would probably result in him robbing or killing them. Don Krieg proceeded to grovel on the floor for a meal, something that made the chefs uncomfortable, but they stuck to their convictions.

Luffy just watched uninterestedly out of the corner of his eye.

"So this is supposed to be the famous Don Krieg?" He questioned his crew, clearly not impressed by what he was seeing.

"Apparently." Kuina replied with an equally bored look on her face.

"He supposedly has 5000 men under his command. There isn't much special about his apart from that armour which is supposedly indestructible. He uses a lot of dirty trick to get his way though. Like feigning submission before turning around and attacking. Similar to what we are seeing right now." Bisca commented.

Shizuku just continued wolfing down obscene amounts of food without even sparing a glance the way of Don Krieg.

They stopped their conversation when they spotted Reiju coming out the kitchen, carrying a plate of food. The chefs started to shout in protest, but one ice cold glare in their direction shut them up. They knew better than to mess with her.

After serving the food to Don Krieg, who proceeded to stuff his face, she was thanked profusely by Gin. The other cooks looked on uncomfortably at the scene. Not sure what to do. They turned to Luffy though, when his voice echoed throughout the quiet restaurant.

"Hey Rei, you might want to dodge." Luffy called out to her, using the nickname that he decided for her, regardless of her annoyance over it.

She only had time to widen her eyes briefly, before nimbly cartwheeling away from ground zero just as Don Krieg's fist ploughed through the ground she was standing on.

The occupants of the Baratie shouted in outrage at the cowardly attack. The patrons that were there all hurriedly ran out the doors and onto their passenger ship, wanting to get the hell away from Don Krieg.

"That was good. I feel re-energized." Don Krieg commented as he looked around the ship. "Isn't this a nice restaurant? I'll take it!" The chef's that stayed behind shrieked in fear at his claim. "My ship is in ruins…I want a new one. I'm feeling generous today, so leave after you've gotten all of your things."

The staff was outraged but were too afraid to voice their thoughts. Gin pleaded with Don Krieg no to do this, but he ignored his second in command.

"There are still about 100 men alive on my ship. All of them are starving and injured. First, prepare food and water for 100 men. Right away!" Don Krieg ordered.

Luffy and his crew just watched the proceedings through half-lidded eyes. As Don Krieg proclaimed how nobody ever disobeys him along with the chef's that were panicking and running around like headless chicken at the thought of following those orders, knowing that those men would eventually attack them.

They had to endure the agony of listening to Don Krieg prattle on about how he was the strongest man alive, with a diamond punch and some kind of super armour. Luffy honestly started snickering at what the guy was spouting. Kuina and Bisca were sharing in the amusement, while Shizuku didn't give two fucks about anything other than the delicious meals Reiju prepared for her.

Eventually, his ranting's were cut off as Zeff came out with a large bag of food, much to the protest of his staff. He ignored them though and proceeded to taunt Don Krieg with the fact that he didn't even last a week in the Grand Line. Krieg spouted all sorts of bravado about how all he needed was information to conquer the Grand Line and proceeded to threaten Zeff into handing over his log book, which Zeff refused. Krieg left to go feed, his men, claiming that he will be back to claim the restaurant.

It was at that moment that Luffy sat up and took notice, drawing the attention of his crew. He looked out the doors with an intense look in his eyes.

"Senchō? What is it?" Kuina question, knowing that her captain's senses were second to none.

Luffy, through the use of his Kenbunshoku haki, picked up an enormous aura making its way towards the Baratie. It was no normal guy that's for sure.

"We have company. Dangerous company." He warned his crew, who all tensed up in preparation, knowing that their captain was serious.

They all walked out to the deck when they heard the sounds of screaming, only to see Don Krieg's flagship galleon sliced cleanly in half.

The culprit was spotted immediately, as he made his way towards them. It was a single man sitting nonchalantly in a small boat. He was dressed in medieval style clothing with a burgundy hat and a huge sword strapped to his back. The most striking feature though, were his piercing yellow eyes.

Luffy immediately knew who this man was, 'Hawk-Eye' Dracule Mihawk, one of the Royal Shichibukai. His body tensed up, knowing that his crew wasn't ready for this stage yet. He looked over to Kuina, to see her gripping her sword tightly.

Luffy ignored Mihawk, who proceeded to demolish the rest of Don Krieg's fleet with a few swings of his sword, and focused his attention on Kuina.

"Kuina." He called out to her softly. She turned to him with an intense look in her eyes, one that Luffy stared into unflinchingly. They held their stare for a few more minutes before Luffy spoke. "You know that I have the utmost confidence in you. But there are some obstacles that pure belief just can't overcome. I won't stop you if you want to challenge him, but know that it will be futile. You are not at his level yet. You will be the greatest swordswoman in the world one day, of that I have no doubt. But that day doesn't have to be today. We still have a long way to go, and I don't want to see you hurt unnecessarily. So I'm asking you, not as your captain, but as your friend, do you really want to risk yourself right now?" He asked as he continued to stare her down. Kuina knew what her captain said was true, and she knew that he would never discourage her from a fight unless it was so badly against her. She wanted to draw her sword right now and go slashing towards 'Hawk-Eye', but her absolute trust and faith in her captain stayed her hand. He had never once led her astray and she would not begin to doubt him now. She let out a defeated smile as she relaxed her grip on her sword. Her captain was just too good at convincing her. Luffy smiled at her decision. "Don't worry, this won't be the last time we see him. By that time, our name will be resounding throughout the world." Luffy finished with a smirk as he grabbed her in a one armed hug, which only caused her to roll her eyes in exasperation.

They didn't know it, but there were a few people listening in on the exchange.

Reiju was once again impressed by Luffy's charisma and his ability to instill loyalty into such a powerful looking woman. He was becoming more and more mysterious by the day.

Zeff just nodded his head in approval, already realizing the kind of man that Luffy is and glad that he was proven right.

Mihawk heard the exchange and rose an eyebrow in interest. Normally, he wouldn't care about such flies, but the boy, who he assumed was the captain of the young swordswoman, had an alarmingly powerful presence about him. He noticed it before he even got to the restaurant. This boy was one to look out for in the future. The fact that he had such a level head on his shoulders and could motivate and inspire his subordinate with just a few words was quite a sight as well. He made a note to watch out for the young man.

Mihawk turned his attention to Don Krieg, who was the only one standing from his crew, the others having been taken out easily. Mihawk sent lazy slash in his direction, causing a wind blade to rocket towards him.

Don Krieg, being the bozo that his is, assumed his armour would protect him, he was wrong.

However, instead of Don Krieg being split cleanly in two, as most expected to happen. Don Krieg was kicked out of the way of the wind blade by Luffy, saving his life.

Most of the people on the Baratie looked on in shock and confusion at his action, but Luffy ignored them and turned his attention to Mihawk.

"While I don't mind to having fun with his crew, I don't appreciate you trying to kill this guy. He has a reasonable bounty on his head and I plan to add that to my wallet. Plus, he is due to serve as a training exercise for my navigator." Luffy spoke casually, causing the onlookers eyes to bug out at what he said and the way he stood against Mihawk, who for his part just rose a single eyebrow in amusement.

"Tell me your name boy."

Luffy sent him a challenging smirk in response.

"Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will be Pirate King." Luffy announced, to the shock and amazement of his audience. "The pretty lady with the sword is my second-in-command, Kimishima Kuina. Remember that name, for she will be the one to de-throne you in the future."

There was a stunned silence at this declaration, before the sound of chuckling rang out. Mihawk was chuckling to himself at the audacity of this boy to so fearlessly declare something like that to his face.

"Very well. Monkey D. Luffy. Kimishima Kuina. I sit atop the world. I eagerly await the day you get to my level. I will be looking with interest at what you can accomplish." Mihawk declared before swiping his sword down, causing a whirlwind to kick up. Once it dissipated, Mihawk and his boat were gone.

Luffy just rolled his eyes at the theatrics. He looked over to his first mate and was pleased to see the fire burning intensely in her eyes at the challenge. She looked at him and gave him a confident nod and a smirk, conveying that she understood his intentions.

Luffy heard Don Krieg rushing him from behind, it was so slow that Luffy probably had time to knit himself a sweater. When Krieg finally got close, Luffy backhanded him away casually, like he was swatting a fly, much to the shock of his spectators.

"Shizuku! I let Kuina have the last bounty. This one is yours. Make sure not to kill him though. They pay more if bounties are still alive. Being close to death is fine though. Go as wild as you want." Luffy called out to his navigator, who hurriedly finished her meal before robotically making her way out onto the deck.

The spectators were looking at him like he was crazy for sending the silent girl to fight the strongest man in East Blue.

Don Krieg got back to his feet and was fuming at the way he was being treated. He is Don Krieg. The strongest man in the world. For that little shit to think this weak little girl could pose a challenge to him was an insult he could not take lying down.

"You will regret sending your little girlfriend to fight me boy. I'll make sure to send her back to you in pieces." Don Krieg roared, frothing at the mouth. He went on a tangent about his greatness, and how he's the strongest in the world, causing Luffy to roll his eyes at the size of the ego on the guy.

He could see though, that Shizuku was getting impatient. He spent enough time with her to pick up the subtleties of her body language. She no doubt wanted to get back to her feast, and listening to this jackass monologue about himself was not in her agenda.

After a few more minutes, her patience wore out. She took a great leap off the piece of driftwood she was standing on, causing a large amount of water to be kicked up from the force of the jump, and headed straight for Krieg. It took him a while to notice, but when he did, he just smirked, wholly confident that his armour was impenetrable. He was in for a rude awakening.

Shizuku landed in a crouch in front of him, before lashing out and grabbing him by the neck like a viper. Krieg was caught off guard by this, but didn't have time to contemplate that as Shizuku's fist barreled into his chest cavity with all the force of a freight train. The wind was knocked out of him completely. What made matters worse was that his armour was dented badly, not that he knew that. It wasn't the end though, as Shizuku held him in place and proceeded to lay into him like a woman possessed.

The sounds of crunching and cracking as well as blood flying everywhere, from Krieg's armour breaking and his bones shattering, from the force of Shizuku's inhumanly powerful punches was too much for some to watch. There was a whole lot of puking being done by most of the chefs who were witnessing the scene.

Luffy and his crew were simply amused at the normally mild mannered Shizuku beating the stuffing out of Don Krieg, probably just so that she can get back to eating as quickly as possible.

Reiju was shocked that the quiet, unassuming girl with the large appetite could be this vicious. To see her manhandle the most powerful pirate in East Blue like he was a toddler was an eye opening experience. She wasn't even the captain of their crew. Hell, she wasn't even the second in command. What did that say for the rest of them? Just how powerful was that guy to have the loyalty of such powerful fighters?

After about a minute more of the vicious one sided beating, Shizuku let up her punches. Don Krieg was reduced to nothing more than a bloody piece of meat. His face was badly swollen, his teeth were missing, his nose was broken in at least 6 different places if that was even possible, not to mention both of his eyes were swollen shut. It was a horrific sight to witness. The perpetrator of such brutal violence though, didn't even change her expression. She still had the same emotionless look on her face as she held Krieg up for her captain to see, seemingly displaying her victory.

"Shishishi…Good work, Shizuku! I knew he wouldn't be a problem for you. As a reward, you can order the entire menu of the Baratie." Luffy shouted out to her, seemingly unaffected by the brutality that she displayed. If anything he looked impressed.

The gleam that entered Shizuku's normally emotionless eyes at her captain's proclamation made most of the chefs shiver in apprehension. There was something seriously wrong with these people.

"Thank you, Master." She answered back dutifully, before lugging Krieg's unconscious body with her back to the restaurant. Everyone scrambled out of her way as she walked to her captain. When she got to him, she dropped Krieg at his feet and just stared at him, seemingly trying to convey something.

After a while, a light bulb went off in Luffy's head as he remembered his interaction with Kuina a while ago when she fought Kuro. So he gently reached out and patted Shizuku's head, causing the stoic woman to seemingly preen under his attention.

Kuina clicked her tongue in annoyance at the scene and Bisca looked a little put out at the display.

Reiju just gave up trying to figure these wacko's out. They were clearly too far outside the scope of sanity to understand. That didn't stop the smile on her face though as she looked at them, something that Zeff noticed.

After leaving Shizuku to her feast, with Luffy watching over her, Kuina and Bisca hauled Krieg back to their boat where they proceeded to shackle him to the mast as tightly as possible. They were nowhere near the level of skill of Shizuku with a rope, but they weren't too shabby either.

As the sun started to set, Luffy once again walked up to Reiju, as he has been doing for the past three days.

"What's you dream, Rei?" He questioned out of the blue, catching her off guard. He normally just asked to join him, so this was a bit new.

It didn't deter her though, as a happy smile blossomed on her face as she excitedly told him about the All Blue.

Luffy smile in response to her exuberance and posed the question to her once more.

"Are you ready to join my crew yet?"

Reiju only exhaled in annoyance, though even that was artificial, as it was obvious that she was struggling with herself.

"I told you before, I'm not going to join-"

"Why don't you just join him already?" Her sentence was cut off by Zeff, who she turned to in shock. "What? Don't look at me like that. You obviously want to join him, we can all see that. But you're being far too stubborn."

"How can you say that to me?! You're the one that's always rejecting these offers on my behalf. I thought you wanted me to stay here! How can I leave when I owe you so much?!" Reiju argued, with her eyes becoming a little misty.

"I only rejected those offers because those weaklings didn't have what it took to make it. That boy right there, he's the real deal. These old eyes can tell. I want you to be well taken care off and happy. He can make that happen. I know you yearn for the open seas, just like I used to. You are my daughter after all, and I couldn't be more proud of you. So go out there and fulfil both our dreams." Zeff told her with a soft smile on his face. That caused the dam to break as Reiju grabbed her father into a tight hug and bawled her eyes out onto his chest, thanking him for all that he's done for her and promising to come back some day.

Luffy offered to stay for a few more days, but Reiju said they should leave now before she changes her mind. It was a tear-filled goodbye as the gang set off from the Baratie, with a new crew-mate and new promises to fulfill.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

They crew of five spent the next few days getting to know each other better. They trained together, they ate together and they relaxed together. Luffy was happy with the way things were turning out. He recruited four powerful warriors into his crew, something he wasn't hopeful of being a possibility here in East Blue when he set off. But whether it was his ridiculous luck, fate or just a simple coincidence, he somehow gathered the cream of the crop and he wasn't about to complain about it. He felt that right now, his crew was ready to head off to the Grand Line. He would have preferred to recruit a doctor, but the doctors here in East Blue were fairly average. He wanted someone exceptional. He wanted someone who wouldn't be daunted by the bizarre nature of the Grand Line and all the ailments that came with it. That isn't to say that he wouldn't pick up a promising doctor if he came across one before, but he didn't see that happening. For now, they would have to watch out for each other, and if they were in a pinch, he would take care of his crew's injuries.

The crew was currently docked at a small island with a Marine outpost for cashing in bounties. He sent Shizuku, Reiju and a disguised Bisca to turn in Krieg and pick up some supplies for them. He chose those three as he wanted them spend some time together bonding while they were out shopping. His other reason was that he wanted some time alone to speak with his first mate.

He looked to Kuina and saw her face looking blankly ahead. She's been uncharacteristically quiet ever since the Baratie.

"I'm sorry." Luffy suddenly blurted out, immediately getting Kuina's attention. She looked at her captain with confusion at his spontaneous apology.

"Erm, senchō? What exactly are you apologizing for?"

Luffy looked away from her with a guilty expression on her face, which made her all the more concerned at her captains uncharacteristically somber mood.

"Back at the Baratie, I prevented you from fighting Mihawk. I know of your ambition to be the greatest, yet I prevented you from challenging him. I feel as though I got in the way of your dream. I don't know if you are feeling the same but I don't want you to think that I'm standing in the way of your ambitions. It worries me that you may think that I don't have faith in you. Which isn't true at all! I do! It's just…I…" Luffy explained contritely before he started to ramble towards the end, much to the amusement of his second in command. She was flabbergasted at the beginning of her captain's explanation, before her face eventually melted into a soft smile at him.

"Senchō." She called out to him. He still didn't stop rambling on incoherently. She just rolled her eyes good naturedly at his behavior. "Luffy." She said quietly. That immediately got his attention. He went rigid and looked at her in astonishment. That was the first time that he had ever her speak his name. She just smiled gently at him. "You have nothing to apologise for. I admit, when I saw Mihawk, I wanted to fight him. It wasn't even something I gave thought to, it was more instinctual, I guess, at seeing my goal right in front of me. But you were right. I wasn't ready for him yet. I realize that to challenge him as I am now would be disrespectful, not only to him but to myself as well. It was just a few weeks ago that I was chained to a crucifix at the base of a false lieutenant. But after travelling with you, after learning what you had to teach, I can feel myself getting stronger. A month ago I wouldn't have even dreamed of taking on a guy like Kuro. But a few weeks with you, and he wasn't even a fight worth mentioning. I know full well that your faith in me is unshakeable, and it's that faith that gives me strength to keep pushing my limits. I know that I wasn't ready for that stage yet. I agree with you, in that there is no rush. We have a long journey ahead of us, with more strong opponents to come, against which I can sharpen my blade. Mihawk won't be going anywhere. So don't apologise, my captain. Without the belief and confidence you have given me, I would still be aimlessly wandering East Blue with no clear path." Kuina finished with a grateful look at Luffy, whose smile at that moment could light up the sky in its brightness.

"Phew, I'm glad. I was worried you would be mad at me." Luffy said, looking like a burden has been lifted off his shoulders. "Do you really think I've helped you though?"

"Of course! You may not realize this, but you are much more powerful than any other guy in this part of the ocean. The bounties I've faced don't even come close to you. Just sparring with you on a daily basis has allowed me to raise my level in the hopes of matching you. I'm still not anywhere close, but as a result, I'm much stronger than I used to be and therefore can handle opponents now that I may not have been able to before, like Kuro. I can feel myself getting stronger every day." Kuina replied. Luffy just rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment at the praise he was getting.

"I didn't think of it like that. But I'm still nowhere near the level of a guy like Mihawk though."

"I didn't say you were. But compared to the fodder in East Blue, you're nigh untouchable. Besides, you're getting stronger every day too, right? We're a team now. We'll all get stronger together and take on anyone that comes our way!" Kuina declared passionately with her fist raised to the air.

Luffy just laughed happily at Kuina unusually boisterous mood.

"Well, looks like you guys are having fun." Said the familiar voice of Reiju.

Luffy and Kuina turned back to see them and raised an eyebrow at Reiju's outfit. It was the same one she wore before, but it was in black, and she had the symbol of a red moon on the left breast area of her dress. The same went for Shizuku and Bisca, who swapped out the dark red in her clothes for black, including her hat.

"Okay…did I miss something?" Luffy questioned quizzically with a tilt of his head.

The girls resisted the urge to coo at the cute gesture.

"Well, the both of you wear black and you both have this symbol on your clothes, so I thought that we should follow along. Kind of like an official uniform." Reiju explained coolly.

Luffy just scratched his head in confusion.

"I like black, it's my favourite colour. And the red moon is something of a way to pay respects to my mother. I once read in her diary that she gave birth to me under the red moon. I thought it was a nice homage to her." Luffy clarified, getting looks of understanding from his crew.

"Well, there's no reason that it can't be our symbol!" Bisca added enthusiastically.

"I agree." Kuina added with her arms folded.

Shizuku just nodded sharply, signaling her agreement.

"Hmmm…I guess that would make us the Red Moon Pirates." Reiju suggested. Kuina, Shizuku and Bisca all gave nods of approval at the name.

"Wait, if we're going to use the symbol, I have a better idea. The red moon is also sometimes called the blood moon. The Blood Moon Pirates sound a lot cooler in my opinion." Luffy proposed, getting looks of approval from his crew.

"Sounds intimidating. I like it." Bisca commented.

"Indeed." Reiju added.

"It certainly sounds ominous." Kuina said.

Shizuku on the other hand pulled out a sketchpad from goodness knows where and stared drawing something.

The others were observing silently as their navigator got to work on something. When she was done, she flipped her sketchbook towards Luffy, whose eyebrows rose in wonder. The girls all whistled at the amazing work from Shizuku.

"So you say that should be our symbol?" Luffy questioned, getting an emphatic nod from his navigator. He broke out into an excited smile. "Do you think you can paint it on a flag? As well as the sail?" He asked. She nodded once again. Before getting to work carrying out her task.

The others watched her work, impressed at her talent. Neither of them were really artistically inclined, so they didn't bother trying their hand at painting. It took her a little under an hour, but Shizuku got the job done.

Luffy just whistled in appreciation.

"Excellent work Shizuku!" He praised, causing the silent navigator to puff her chest out slightly in pride. "Shishishi…with this, the Blood Moon Pirates are born!" He announced, getting cheers from his crew, who started to celebrate with some sake that they passed around as well as the excellent food that Reiju prepared. "I was thinking, we have what we need for now. I think it's time for us to head to the Grand Line. There aren't any more bounties here and we have enough money to get a decent ship made." Luffy commented.

The others looked thoughtful at his suggestion, but they were interrupted by Bisca correcting her captain.

"You're wrong boss. There's still one more bounty left. Regardless of what people said, Don Krieg was only the second highest bounty currently in East Blue. The highest belongs to the Fishman 'Saw-Tooth' Arlong, captain of the Arlong Pirates. He has a bounty of 20 million beli. I've heard some bad rumors about him. Suffice to say, he's far above some idiot like Don Krieg." Bisca informed them.

Luffy paused upon hearing that, before a terrifying grin appeared on his face. It caused the girls in his crew to shiver a little in apprehension, at his obviously evil intentions.

"A Fishman you say? Shishishishi…Great! I thought the training exercises were over. This will be a great test for our crew. It is said that Fishman are apparently ten times stronger than the average man. If this guy has a crew of Fishman at his disposal, they will pose a good test for us. Not to mention the perfect debut of the Blood Moon Pirates, taking out the largest bounty in this sea!" Luffy explained excitedly. The looks of resigned acceptance on the faces of his crew would have been comical to him if he had been paying attention, but he wasn't. He walked with purpose to the front of his boat and pointed dramatically toward the horizon. "Shizuku! Set course for…" He stopped dead in tracks, still stuck in his pose. There was absolute silence on the boat for about minute, before Luffy shyly turned around, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he took in the dead-pan stares his crew was giving him. "Shishishi…guess I got a little too excited."

"You think." Kuina jabbed with half-lidded eyes.

Bisca just rolled her eyes at her captain's antics.

"From what I've heard, Arlong supposedly set up base in the Conami Islands." She provided.

Luffy perked up at that piece of information.

"You heard the lady! Let's get this show on the road." Luffy exclaimed.

The girls looked exhausted at his antics, but the smirks on their faces betrayed those thoughts. They were looking forward to a good fight just as much as their captain.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It was a scene that was the basis of so many nightmares for Nami as she watched the people of her village pick up rusty pitch-forks and pieces of timber and proceed to march towards Arlong Park. To their death. After all the years she spent, under the thumb of the man who murdered her mother, in an attempt to free her friends and her family. She lied, cheated and stole from so many people to complete her self-appointed mission. But it seems that for all the world she experienced in her travels, she was still far too naïve.

She had finally gathered the 100 million beli that she needed to free Cocoyashi Village from Arlong's grasp. He had promised her that if she gathered that amount, she could buy back her village. She sailed back to her village with hope blossoming in her chest for the first time in ten years. She had finally done it. But it seems that she was only fooling herself. After only having been back on the island for a few hours, she was accosted by the Marines, led by Captain Nezumi of the sixteenth branch. She immediately knew something was terribly wrong. They accused her of being a thief, along with other petty crimes that weren't even worth mentioning compared to the injustice occurring in their island at the hands of Arlong. When the citizens pointed this out to him loudly, he just had a smug smile on his face. As a result, the 100 million that Nami had gathered was confiscated, but not before Nezumi accidentally letting slip that he knew the exact amount she had beforehand. Nami knew that Arlong was behind this. There was no other way for Nezumi to have known. It also explained why there was never any help afforded to them by the Marines. Arlong had a Marine Captain in his back pocket.

Nami was absolutely heartbroken at what had happened. But she tried to keep a smile on her face, for the villagers. She said that she would gather the money again and eventually buy back the village. But the villagers decided that enough was enough. The picked up their makeshift weapons and marched towards Arlong Park to avenge the atrocities that were committed against them as well as the abuse suffered by Nami at the hands of that monster.

Nami ran in front of them and begged them to stop, but none of them listened. Her sister, Nojiko, told her that the people had reached their breaking point and nothing could stop them now, despite the fact they knew they were marching to their deaths.

She could do nothing but watch on, with tears streaming down her face as Genzo, the town mayor and a man she looked up to as a father figure, stared down Arlong and declared their intentions of resistance.

If anything, Arlong simply looked amused at their efforts. He took a perverse delight in the suffering he was inflicting on Nami. He allowed Genzo to give a rousing speech about how they were going to be rid of him today, not that Arlong paid much attention.

"Shahahaha…you inferior human filth have some nerve, raising your weapons to your betters after all the care that we have given you." Arlong mocked, infuriating the villagers further.

"It ends today, Arlong! One way or another!" Genzo shouted, getting cheers of approval from the people.

"Please stop! There's no need to do this! I can gather more money!" Nami tried one last time, but her argument fell on deaf ears.

"I'm sorry, Nami. We've watched for ten years as you've endured the pain and loneliness, just so that you could free us. But we will end your suffering today!" Genzo proclaimed, getting even more shouts of approval from his fellow villagers.

Name couldn't stop the tears, from sadness, grief, despair and a little happiness at the end. She saw the resolve on the faces of the villagers and she knew that nothing she said could change their minds. She pulled herself together, assembled her staff and stood by the villagers ready to fight with them.

"SHAHAHAHA! Such insolence! I see you finally lost your mind Nami. Not that I'm surprised. It looks like I have to teach you weaklings a lesson once again about the superiority of the Fishman race. Kill them boys! But make it as slow and painful as possible. But leave Nami for last. I want her to watch as all those she loves are brutalized. Shahahaha!" Arlong ordered cruelly.

The bloodthirsty smirks on the faces of the surrounding Fishman immediately put the villagers on edge. This wasn't how they planned on things happening. They were honestly terrified of the scenario that Arlong outlined. They weren't afraid of dying. But the thought of Nami being forced to watch them suffer made them hesitate.

It happened just as the Fishman were about to attack. It was a sound. A strange sound. One that was totally out of place in the tense atmosphere of Arlong Park. Which was why it stood out so much as to grab their attention. All action stopped in Arlong Park as the inhabitants strained their ears to pick up the source of the sound.

After a few seconds, it became clearer. It was the sound of someone humming. More precisely, it was the sound of someone humming a silly tune.

They got their answer, though, as the source of the humming came sailing into the park.

It was a medium sized boat, with not much to distinguish it from others of its kind, with the exception of the menacing looking Jolly Roger painted on the black sail. It was a more narrow and angular skull, compared to the standard. It had sharp, narrow eyes, with a large jagged set of teeth. It was pure white on top of what looked like a red moon with blue arcs of electricity painted around it. _**(AN:/For a visual, think of Ichigo's hollow mask without any of the markings for the skull. The flag is inspired by the Japanese flag. But with the base being black and the red circle pained to look like a moon with the skull and crossbones on top of it./)**_ All in all, it was extremely intimidating.

What was less intimidating though, was the young man in black, standing at the front of the ship, with his arms crossed, his long black hair and coat flapping dramatically in the wind and his intense purple eyes piercing the space in front of him. He was flanked by four extremely beautiful and dangerous looking women. It would have been an awe-inspiring sight, if it weren't for the fact that he seemed to be humming his own theme music.

" Pananana Na Na Na pananana…Pananana Na Na Na pananana…Pananana Na Na Na pananana…Pananana Na Na Na pananana "

Every occupant in Arlong Park stopped what they were doing to stare at the sheer ridiculousness that they were witnessing. There were sweat-drops and deadpan stares directed at the entrance of these obviously mentally challenged people.

Bisca looked a little embarrassed, if the tinges of pink on her cheeks and her shifty eyes were anything to go by.

Reiju's expression was as cold as ice as she stared down the Arlong Pirates. She completely disregarded everyone's presence and just stood regally next to her captain, seemingly unbothered by his antics. She was focused and ready to act on his orders.

Shizuku, as always, was completely immovable in her expression and oblivious to the situation. Whether it was that she didn't care about being embarrassed, or that she didn't realize that her captain was actually doing something embarrassing, Bisca would never know.

Kuina, on the other hand, looked like she was pumped up. Her foot was tapping along with the tune her captain was humming and she looked to be really getting into it, if the sharpness of her posture and the intensity of her eyes were anything to go by. Bisca just looked at her with a dead-pan stare, realizing that she was a lost cause from the very beginning.

As the boat came to a stop in the bay of Arlong Park, Luffy's humming stopped and his intense gaze swept across the scene. Suddenly the tension rose dramatically. Luffy looked far more dangerous now that he stopped humming and the villagers and even some of the Fishman gulped audibly at the dangerous vibes he was giving off.

Nami was shocked. She immediately recognized Luffy and Kuina from Orange Town. They were the two that effortlessly destroyed Buggy the Clown and his crew.

As Luffy gaze continued to scan the area, the occupants waited with bated breath for what he would say. Such was the commanding nature of his presence. As he opened his mouth, they leaded forward in anticipation.

"Which one of you is Alfred?" Luffy thundered.

People face planted at how anti-climactic his question turned out to be. Even Arlong had to sweat-drop at the stupidity he was seeing.

Bisca face-palmed, hard, at her captain's antics.

Shockingly though, a middle aged man timidly stepped forward from the crowd and shakily raised his hand.

"I…I'm Afred…sir…" The man stuttered out, with whole body trembling in fear.

Luffy's sharp gaze immediately zeroed in on the man and Kuina slowly stared to unsheathe her katana, causing him to tremble even more. The poor man looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Tears and snot were started streaming down his face and a wet spot could be seen appearing on his pants as Luffy's ill-intent was directed at him.

"Well, you certainly are one ugly mother fucker. Just what I'd expect from a notorious Fishman with a reputation as disreputable as yours. I find it hard to believe though that the Marines put a 20 million beli bounty on a flaky character such as you." Luffy drawled out.

Realization set for the villagers as they figured out who he was really talking about. They didn't know whether to laugh, cry or be fearful. This strange man completely dissolved any tension they may have been feeling with his ridiculous action.

"Boss, it not Alfred. It Arlong. A-R-L-O-N-G. And he's a Fishman. He the one sitting on the chair over there." Bicsa pointed out exhaustedly.

Luffy perked up at that and hit his palm with his fist in comprehension. He turned to the poor guy he had frightened.

"Shishishi…sorry about that Alfred. That was my bad." He apologized insincerely.

Poor Alfred just sobbed in relief at not being the focus of Luffy's attention anymore.

"Shahahaha…so some puny human thinks he can just barge into my home. Who are you weakling? A bounty hunter perhaps? Or did you come here to bow to the might of the Fishman race?" Arlong challenged arrogantly with his arms outstretched.

Luffy on the other hand just looked at him in pity. Something that Arlong seemed to pick up on as it infuriated him at some no-name weakling looking down on him.

"First of, I'm not a bounty hunter, as any person with half a brain cell could distinguish from the Jolly Roger on my sails." Luffy said slowly, taking care to pronounce each word, like he was speaking to a particularly dim-witted child. "Second, as stated, I'm a pirate. Rules about property and crap like that don't really apply to me. It that easy enough for you understand? Or do you need me to draw a picture for you to comprehend it. My navigator, Shizuku, is quite a talented artist. I'm sure she can whip you up a picture book if you're stuck." Luffy finished, with Shizuku pulling out her sketchbook and art supplies. The rest of his girls didn't even bother to hold back their giggles at his remarks.

The villagers looked on in shock at the audacity of the newcomer. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine someone having the gall to speak to Arlong in such a way.

Speaking of the resident dictator, he had a vein on his temple that was throbbing violently at the nerve of what he perceived as an inferior human.

"Before I beat the superiority of the Fishman race into your thick skull, tell me your name trash." Arlong said menacingly.

Luffy just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Normally I wouldn't bother giving my name to every piece of cannon fodder I come across. But I'm feeling particularly generous today. My name is Monkey D. Luffy. The man who will be Pirate King. Remember that fish face." Luffy answered with a smirk that infuriated Arlong. He didn't get time to dwell on that though. "Shizuku!" Luffy called out, said woman immediately stepping forward. "Since you got to take out Ding Kong the last time, I think it's only fair that the others get to have a chance for a good fight. He seems to have three other 'officers' around him. Leave those to the others. For now though, take out the rest of the trash." Luffy ordered with a stony look on his face. His demeanor doing a complete 180 from his previous playful personality.

"Yes, Master." Shizuku nodded in obedience before exploding into action.

She leapt off the boat and landed right in the middle of the grunts of the Arlong Pirates. She wasted no time in unleashing her devastating fists on the unsuspecting Fishman. So used to their dominance over the weak villagers, they were wholly unprepared for the pure power she unleashed upon them. She swiftly dodged under sloppy punches and lazy kicks from the grunts, who were clearly untrained and spent far too many years sitting on their asses to even pose a fraction of a challenge to the inhuman nature of Shizuku. She dispatched them with the ease one would show when stomping ants. Solid punches sent Fishman flying in all directions, bones breaking like twigs under the force of her blows. Try as they might, they didn't stand a chance in hell against her now that she was carrying out her captains orders.

The villagers looked on in shock and awe. Disbelief painted clearly on their faces as they watched a single woman dispatch the majority of the Arlong Pirates like they were cannon fodder. Which to her, they were. An unfamiliar feeling blossomed in the hearts of the villagers as they watched the carnage. The feeling called hope.

Arlong clutched his armrest tightly, causing it to crumble under his strength. He was enraged by the scene he was witnessing. His brothers were being swatted like flies, and by a single woman at that. He could barely control his temper.

It took no more than three minutes for Shizuku to completely eradicate the grunts of the Arlong Pirates. And she did so with alarming ease. Bodies were strewn all over the park. Broken bodies. Bleeding bodies. Even the villagers had to cringe at the brutality that were inflicted upon the Fishman by this single woman. Said woman just robotically turned back and made her way to her captain.

"Mission accomplished, Master." She intoned

Luffy just smiled at her proudly and patted her head once again, causing her to seemingly revel in his attention, if the triumphant glint in her eyes directed at her fellow female crew mates were any indication.

The three of them didn't respond to her provocative actions, but they did twitch in annoyance at her actions.

"Unforgivable! For you inferior humans to come here and do this! I will kill you all!" Arlong roared.

"Arlong, take it easy, chu. We will handle it from here, chu. There's no need to get your hand dirty with these weakling, chu." A Fishman with strangely big lips said as he stepped forward, followed by a large framed Fishman with weird elbows and one with six arms. They appeared to be the officers of the Arlong Pirates.

"Another weirdo appears." Luffy commented.

"I don't want to hear that from someone like you, chu!" The big lipped Fishman retorted.

"Well, there are three moderately strong opponents before us. Please note the biting sarcasm in my voice." Luffy drawled out with half-lidded eyes. Causing tick marks to appear of the foreheads of the mentioned three. "Kuina, you take the octopus. Rei, the Bruce Lee wannabe with the messed up elbows is yours. Bisca. You take out the weirdo with the suspiciously pouty lips. I don't really want to know what he does with those lips of his." Luffy ordered, before whispering the last part loudly for all to hear. The red face on the lip guy made a few guys shift uncomfortably.

The girls just nodded in acceptance before speeding towards their opponents.

Luffy just folded his arms imperiously and stared down Arlong with a confident smirk on his face.

 **[Bisca Vs Chu]**

"You humans have some nerve to barge in here and challenge the mighty Arlong Pirates. I will personally make sure that it's the last mistake you ever make." Chu sneered, spitting the word human out like a curse.

"You sure like the sound of your own voice don't you." Bisca drawled with a bored look on her face. She clearly didn't think much of her opponent which did nothing but piss him off.

"You inferior filth! For you to-"

That was as far as he got as Bisca got inside his guard and smacked him with the butt of her rifle, busting his large lips and drawing first blood.

Chu recovered quickly and used the natural strength and speed of his species to close in on Bisca, but he was forced to dodge as the speed with which she drew her pistol from her waist and fired at him exceeded what he expected.

Unfortunately for him though, she didn't let up and continued firing at him. Targeting vital points, forcing him to dodge. Eventually her pistol clicked impotently, signaling that it was out of ammo. Chu pounced on the opportunity afforded to him.

He attacked with sloppy punches, clearly untrained in close combat, but thanks to his genetic advantage, they were still dangerous. Unfortunately, for all his speed and strength, Bisca's reflexes were far superior and she had no problems dealing with him. She discreetly dropped a few caltrops on the floor that he didn't notice before moving away from the area.

Eventually Chu became frustrated and jumped back. Falling on what he does best.

" **Mizu Taihou!"**

He spat out a powerful orb of water that tore through the concrete and headed straight to Bisca with impressive speeds. But she wasn't helpless. Using a window ledge as a foothold, she jumped onto the wall of Arlong Park before scaling the wall rapidly.

" **Hyapattsu Mizu Deppou!"**

Chu shot out a hundred smaller 'water guns' after her. Each denting the wall as she ran up it but never hitting her. As she got a foothold on the roof, she turned around in triumph. Feeling most comfortable from a great height with a good vantage point.

She immediately pulled out her rifle and flipped out the scope. She took aim and fired accurately at his head, giving him no choice but to dodge. She took a second shot and made him backtrack. Third shot and she forced him to the left. Fourth shot and he was forced to jump back, unfortunately for him, he landed on one of the caltrops causing it to lodge deeply into his foot. The unexpected attack caused him to cry out on pain, grabbing his foot to sooth the ache.

Unfortunately for him, that was all that Bisca need to finish it. With lightning quick reflexes, she primed her rifle. Aimed. And fired. The result was a high caliber bullet that went straight through Chu's forehead, killing him instantly.

Bisca casually got up, blow the smoke off the point of her rile and posed sexily with her hand on her hips.

"Yee-haw!"

Winner: Bisca

Luffy smirked in approval at Bisca's victory but Arlongs face darkened at the death of one of his comrades.

 **[Reiju Vs Kurobi]**

"Be grateful human, today you will witness the might of the superior fighting style of my species. Fishman Karate." Kurobi boasted.

The glacial look the Reiju shot him could have frozen hell over. She looked at him like he was a common insect whose destiny it was to be squashed beneath her feet.

He was about to open his mouth again, but Reiju was tired of listening to all these Fishman talk about themselves.

She blurred from her position with alarming speed.

" **Collier"**

She sent a powerful kick with the top of her foot to Kurobi's neck.

" **Epaule"**

She followed it up with a rapid axe kick to the shoulder.

" **Pol Trine!"**

She finished her mini combo with a strong thrust kick to his chest, her high heels adding to the already extensive damage of the kick. Kurobi flew backwards and just managed to stop himself from collapsing from the pain of the surprise attack. He spat out a little blood, before glaring up at Reiju who just looked back with an ice cold gaze.

Kurobi lifted himself off the ground and got into a stance.

"It normally isn't my policy to bully weaklings. But you've pissed me off far too much for me to hold back anything. I will kill you here inferior filth. Be prepared for my most devastating attack, the 1000 Tile True Punch. Say goodbye." Kurobi gloated. Reiju just cocked her eyebrow at him.

" **100 Thousand Tile Tr-"**

He didn't get to finish his attack though. Just as he took his stance to deliver it, Reiju seductively cocked her alluring hips, revealing the long slit in her dress. She slowly ran her hand up the bare portion of her tantalizing leg. Catching even Kurobi's attention at her enthralling movements. As she reached the middle of her supple thigh, in the blink of an eye, she drew three throwing knives from the holster strapped to her thigh and threw them with alarming precision at Kurobi who was too slow to dodge and was impaled on both of his arms and his left leg.

He grunted in pain at the surprise assault, spitting out a little more blood.

"You coward!" Kurobi roared in anger.

Reiju just cocked her eyebrow in amusement.

"I'm a pirate, Mr. 'Walking Food Supply'. Did you expect some honour duel?" Reiju asked mockingly.

Kurobi fumed in rage at her audacity. He charged once more and directed an arm thrust in her direction, which she nimbly jumped over. He continued his assault only to be met with the same results. He had greater upper body strength but Reiju had superior mobility. Resulting in him missing 100 percent of the time. As time went by, his attacks became sloppier and his movement was more laboured. He eventually noticed when he had to stop and take a deep breath as exhaustion over took him. Which didn't make sense to him since his stamina was second only to his captain, Arlong. He focused his bloodshot gaze at his opponent.

"You! What did you do to me?!" He screamed, frothing at the mouth.

Reiju was smirk condescendingly to him.

"You didn't think I just threw three random knives at you, did you?" She questioned mockingly. "Those three were tipped with a special slow acting poison of my own design. It will slowly decelerate the flow of your blood, eventually shutting down your nervous system, before moving on to your organs. It may take a while, maybe a day or so depending how strong your immune system is. But you will die. Slowly and painfully." She explained with a cruel smirk on her face at the look of horror that Kurobi displayed. "The question is, can you find a doctor to treat you and somehow counter-act the poison in time? Going by the amount of enemies you've made here, I would say the chances are slim. Good luck though."

" **Mutton Shot!"**

She delivered a devastating thrust kick to his face, knocking him out cold and sending him shooting through Arlong Park, destroying a portion of it as he went.

Winner: Reiju

Luffy whistled in appreciation at the methodical way that Reiju tore her opponent down. It was honestly terrifying to watch.

Arlongs mood didn't improve as another one of his brothers were taken out.

 **[Kuina Vs Hatchi]**

"'Pirate Huntress' Kuina. Be amazed at my Six-Style swor-"

" **Ittoryu Iai: Shishi Sonson"**

All that was seen was a blur as Kuina sped past Hatchi while he was still speaking. The speed of her draw and slash couldn't be followed by eyes not belonging to her crew mates. In the few seconds that her actions took, the end result was Hatchi's chest exploding in a shower of blood as he dropped face first to the ground.

Kuina whipped her sword out in an arc to clean the blood off before sheathing it coolly at her side with a frigid look on her face.

Winner: Kuina

Luffy's grin only widened at the result. Not that he expected anything else to happen.

The villagers could only stare in shock at seeing Arlong's officers taken down so easily. Four individuals effortlessly took out the entire crew, with the exception of Arlong, in a matter of minutes. It was the stuff of dreams for the oppressed villagers.

Arlong was apoplectic. He was trembling in rage at what he just witnessed.

"YOU! Inferior filth! You dare to come here and harm my brethren in front of me! Making a game out of it! You will rue the day you came here boy! I will tear you limb from limb until you beg me for death!" Arlong screamed hatefully. His eyes becoming completely red as his madness encompassed him. He punched into Arlong Park and pulled out giant sword in the shape of a saw. He tensed his entire body as he prepared to murder Luffy.

Luffy just looked on with a bored expression on his face.

Arlong took a few deep breaths to cool down his pulse. He didn't want to destroy his park in the process of skinning this human alive.

"Are you done with your spiel? Unlike you, I actually have places to be. I don't really feel like entertaining you today, so do me a favour." Luffy drawled. "Don't blink." He said before vanishing in a spark of blue before Arlong's cry of pain was heard throughout the park.

The villagers looked to Arlong only to see Luffy right in front of him, his arm lodged in Arlong's chest, his hand gripping his still beating heart.

Arlong was paralyzed in fear as his mortality was made very apparent to him in this moment. He didn't even see Luffy move, nor did anybody else, his crew included. It happened in a fraction of a second. The speed of a single blink is far too slow compared to his movement.

Arlong trembled in fear as he felt Luffy's hand enclose his heart.

"Wait! Don't do it! We can be partners! You don't know what you're doingAAAAHHHHHH!"

He tried to beg and plead his case but Luffy squeezed tightly, causing him to wail in pure agony.

"I hate weaklings like you who feel the need to oppress the innocent just to feel good about yourself. You're a pathetic little worm with a sad inferiority complex. Look into my eyes trash. I want my face to be the last thing to register in your mind as I rip your beating heart out. Die knowing that, in the end, you were inferior to a human. Remember that you were crushed like the impotent worm you are by Monkey D. Luffy." Luffy said malevolently before violently ripping Arlong's heart out of his chest.

Arlong's body stayed upright for a few seconds before it dropped like a ton of bricks. Luffy had his still beating heart in his hand. He gazed upon the corpse of Arlong with disgust before crushing his heart.

There was stunned silence in Arlong Park. The villagers couldn't believe their eyes, even though there were tears flowing down theirs. Arlong lay at the feet of the strange man who barged into his park, completely motionless. A large hole in his chest from where his heart was ripped out of. It took a few more minutes for it to finally settle in, but when it did, Arlong Park exploded in cheers. Tears were released, laughter was heard. They were finally free from their eight year nightmare.

Nami couldn't stop the tears as she saw her oppressor, the same man who murdered her mother, dead on the ground.

Luffy looked at the celebration out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help the smile that came on his face at the joy of the villagers. For all of his talk of not being a hero, he sure finds himself doing shit like this a lot. He seriously needs to stop saving people. It's totally going to ruin his bad boy image. He felt his crew come to stand beside him. He smiled at them and gave them a nod of acknowledgement, a sign of his satisfaction at their performances. The girls stood up a little straighter at his gesture, happy to have been of use to their captain.

The celebrations were cut short though, by an annoying laugh.

"Chichichi…I didn't think I would see the day that Arlong Park would fall. And to a bunch of no name pirates at that. I'll be the one taking Arlong's head back to my base nearby along with collecting the bounty for him. The credit for the victory will go to me. If you don't want to be put on the wanted list, you will obey pirate scum." Captain Nezumi sneered.

There were screams of outrage from the villagers at Nezumi's words.

Luffy though, went rigid. He slowly turned around, locking eyes with a slightly sweating Nezumi. The unhealthy gleam in Luffy's eyes didn't bode well for Nezumi.

"You mean to tell me, that there is a Marine base nearby. Run by you. A corrupt Marine. That carries enough money to pay out bounties. Along with supplies like ammunition, clothes and food and anything else that we may desire?" Luffy questioned rhetorically, before a maniacal grin threatened to split his face.

His crew, understanding what he was getting at, had identical expressions on their faces.

Nezumi started to sweat badly, having realized that he may have bitten off more than he could chew.

"Let have us a little talk, my new buddy." Luffy said as wrapped an arm around Nezumi's shoulder with a slightly psychotic look on his face, one that made Nezumi lose control of his bowels.

Luffy's maniacal laughter could be heard throughout the Conami Islands.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Author Note:**

 **Pananana Na Na Na pananana…Pananana Na Na Na pananana…Pananana Na Na Na pananana…Pananana Na Na Na pananana**

 **For those of you wondering, that little tune is from one of my favourite shows, Castle, from episode 7 where Castle hums it while pretending to be driving a cop car.**

 **Damn! It got a little dark at the end there. I didn't actually plan on killing those guys, it just sort of happened. But seriously, Krieg and Arlong got owned. It was a bit of a long chapter. I always tell myself that I will make the chapters shorter…but they somehow end up longer…haaah…such is my cross to bear.**

 **I'm not too happy about the first part of the chapter, but I wanted to get it over with and had no motivation to go into detail. So that was the end result. It not the best, but I'm too much of a lazy bastard to change it.**

 **So the final member of the crew has joined. I didn't get much time to develop Reiju, or the others for that matter, but I will spend more time trying to bring out their unique personalities once we hit the Grand Line.**

 **For Reiju, she's going to be the Ice Queen/Ojou-sama of the crew. Her fighting style as you read, is similar to Sanji's but I added poison to her repertoire as well as being a bit of a seductress in terms of distracting opponents with her beauty. It was honestly a coincidence. I didn't even read the latest chapters of the manga till about a few minutes ago when I was trying to get some insight into her character. I always planned for her to be a poison user because as a cook, it made sense. Plus I may have been thinking of Bianchi from KHR. The part with the knives strapped to her thigh is actually from a movie called Desperado, where Salma Hayek does something similar. It was way too sexy for me to ever forget and for some reason it came to me when I was writing that scene.**

 **About Luffy's entrance to Arlong Park, I don't know why I did it, but it just sort of happened. I'm not the funniest guy around but I hope that got a chuckle out of you. I did say I want Luffy to be a bit of a troll. This also ties in with a quirk I plan to give him about making cool entrances. Thanks to influence from Garp.**

 **Concerning Kuina not fighting Mihawk. I actually planned on having her fight him, but I stopped midway. That scene for me, was one of the most iconic moments of One Piece. When Zoro raised his sword to the air after his defeat and declared that he wouldn't lose to anyone else, I was moved. But that was Zoro's scene. And Kuina is not Zoro. She is a different person. She is a lot more level headed than Zoro. She also learnt early on a lesson that Zoro didn't learn until later on. To swallow your pride for the good of the crew. She trusts Luffy judgment, and has seen how much more powerful he is compared to her. She therefore took his honest assessment into account and decided to look to the future instead of throwing her life away in the present.**

 **All bounties have been gathered in East Blue. Next chapter, they will get their ship. I actually like 'Crimson Reaper' that was suggested by Shade1998, but I think I might actually use that for Kuina's epithet. 'Crimson Reaper' Kuina, or maybe 'Death Reaper'. It sounds badass. I was thinking of going with the epithet of 'The Archfiend' for Luffy, because he will be portrayed as an evil demon by the WG. It's their usual spiel. The reason I wanted to choose this epithet was also because of the ship name. I decided I would name the first ship Artemis, and name the second one, that I will have Franky build, 'The Leviathan'. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was watching an old season of High Scool DxD, when I remembered, the Leviathan is actually a sea monster/demon from the bible. What better ship to carry the devil himself, 'The Archfiend'. Plus it's a nice shout out to my original story. Let me know what you think.**

 **Concerning Luffy's powers, I want to go a different route compared to other fictions and even canon. Luffy is always portrayed to be better at Haoshoku or Busoshoku haki. Well, I'm going to give him a greater Kenbunshoku haki. His fruit will amplify it. It's a canon ability that Enel uses where he reads the electromagnetic frequencies in the air in conjunction with his mantra that gives him the ability to scope out the entire island. Luffy obviously isn't at that level yet and probably won't be until the time skip. Like I said in previous chapters, all his haki training is self-taught, therefore he doesn't have the kind of expertise that will make him a master. It was stated that Kenbunshoku was the easiest to awaken and train, therefore he was able to train that colour the most. It will also tie in with his ability to hear 'The Voice of All Things', which is also a canon ability of his as shown in the Fishman Island Arc.**

 **Anyway, give me your thoughts on the chapter and any suggestions you may have. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Next up is Loguetown. Look forward to it.**

 **Lionheart021 out!**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Author Note:**_

 _ **Okay…it seems I have to address a few things that were misunderstood. I received quite a few reviews stating that Reiju's hair is in fact pink and not blonde in the manga. I want to let you all know that, yes I did know that before I wrote the chapter. I made her blonde on purpose. When I was planning this story, before I even posted a chapter, I actually had an OC in place of Reiju. But as I skimmed the newer chapters, I saw that Sanji indeed had a sister, so I decided that I would use her as a base instead. I stated in the last chapter that you should not have any preconceived notions about Reiju because I will write her in my own way, basically as a semi-OC because that's what she is. I only used her character base and the convenient story of her family to place her in the story. The role I want to give her is that of a femme-fatale, kind of like Sharon Stone in basic instinct but not to that extreme degree, and having pink hair kind of messes up that whole image for me. Because whenever I see pink hair, I unfortunately think of Sakura from Naruto. And yes, she is part of the Vinsmoke family along with being Judge's daughter. But if One Piece has taught us anything, it's that sharing the same blood doesn't make you family. The bonds of family transcends such trivialities. As such, she views Zeff as her father. It's for that reason she will take up his last name (that I made up myself) when she travels. Don't worry about Sanji though, he's still alive and well. We won't see him until much later on.**_

 _ **When I was writing the fight scene in this chapter between Smoker and Luffy…I was listening to Unstoppable by Pop Evil. It really got my blood pumping and made a good background track for what I envisioned in my head…just saying…**_

 _ **The first part of this chapter is a bit graphic in nature, so I suggest you skip it if it bothers you. You had a taste last chapter and this will be a continuation to show that this Luffy won't be all 'happy fun times Luffy'. He will have a dark side as will his crew. I tried to keep the descriptions to a minimum as to not disturb some readers with my morbid thoughts, but there will be a lot of death. Just a warning.**_

Disclaimer: No matter how many times I try to convince myself…I still don't own One Piece…One day, Oda…One day soon…I will snatch it from your grubby paws.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 5: Welcome to the World**

"Wait please! Let's just forget I said anything!" Nezumi begged as Luffy dragged him by the scruff of his neck towards his Marine ship.

Luffy wasn't having any of it though. After his crew put a swift beat down on the weak Marine grunts, Luffy and his girls wasted no time in tying them up and loading them onto the ship. He then grabbed Nezumi and walked to the ship, where the rest of his crew was waiting, whistling a jaunty tune all the way.

He asked Shizuku to load their little sailing boat on the much bigger Marine ship as he didn't want it left behind after the loyal service he got from it.

His thoughts were cut short though as a familiar looking orange haired girl called out to him.

"Umm…I don't know of you remember me." She timidly said. Luffy just raised an eyebrow.

"Nami, the pirate thief." Luffy answered, causing her to wince slightly at the look he was giving her.

"I…I wanted to thank you. For saving my village." She replied gratefully before launching into the tale of the Arlong Pirates, her mother and her self-appointed mission as well as the role that Nezumi played in it. If Luffy had any thoughts regarding her story, he didn't show it. If one looked closely though, they would see his fist clenched tightly at his side. "We don't have much to offer you except our gratitude. Even though I don't really like pirates, I want you to know that I will forever be indebted to you and your crew for your actions today." She said, uncharacteristically sombre. Luffy just raised an eyebrow.

"Shizuku, bring over that 100 million beli we found on the ship." Luffy shouted out to his navigator, who came swiftly towards him with the bag. Luffy had her plunk it next to Nami. "There's your 100 million back. Use it to fix your village. You people obviously have a lot of work that needs to be done and that money will aide your efforts." Luffy advised. Nami had tears in her eyes at his gesture. She wanted to deny the money, instead giving it to Luffy as a reward, but he refused. "I'm about to go raid this idiots base. There will be plenty of money there for me to have. You guys need that far more than I do. I normally wouldn't give two shits about your village, but if there's one thing I hate in this world its corrupt Marines. It may take a while for the people to get back to where they once were, but if you guys stick together I'm sure you will make it eventually. You are free now. Follow your dreams and make the most of your life. Who knows, we may meet again out at sea. Till then, farewell Nami, the hero of Cocoyashi." Luffy said with a smile as he walked away, not knowing the kind of impact he had made on the young navigators life. She vowed to herself that she would not waste this new opportunity at life and do her best to live the best she could.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The ship came to a stop in the bay of Marine Branch 16 and Luffy surveyed the island with a stony look on his face. Nezumi was secured tightly to the mast, at least 10 feet of the ground. Luffy wanted to give him a good view of what was about to happen.

They kicked off all the unconscious Marines as soon as they docked, who were all sprawled over the floor in front of them.

As his crew stood around him, Luffy spoke. It was a slow measured voice that he used, one that the girls haven't heard from him thus far. But it was cold and filled with barely restrained hatred.

"There's nothing more I respect in this world than a mother who is willing to face death to secure the safety of her children. The fact that said mother was one of their own and was allowed to die like a dog just so that they could fill their pockets, makes the inhabitants of this base the lowest form of scum on the face of the planet." Luffy stated, barely containing his anger. The story of Nami and the actions of her mother hit him hard and very close to home. It opened up some old wounds that was festering his heart and he was more than willing to take his pound of flesh from the target that was conveniently placed in front of him. "The worthless trash that inhabits this base made a vow to uphold 'Justice' and protect the innocent. But it seems that as long as their pockets are lined, they will turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent. That is something that I cannot forgive. I was initially planning on just raiding this base for supplies, but this has become personal for me. I'm going to burn this base to the ground. Take all the money and supplies that are available. When that is done, go as wild as you want. I won't force you to participate in the blood bath that's about to occur. So if you don't think you can stomach it, I won't begrudge you for that choice." His eyes swept the faces of his crew and he was pleased to note that they all had varying degrees of anger on their faces, even the normally emotionless Shizuku had a fire burning in her eyes. They couldn't stand the actions of these Marines any more than Luffy could, especially a former Marine like Bisca. This was everything she hated about her former employers. Unfortunately, it isn't something new to her as she's seen cases like this one far too often. "Very well. Hold nothing back. It's time the world learns the consequences of angering the Blood Moon Pirates! Move out!" Luffy ordered as they sped off in different directions.

Luffy wasted no time in disappearing in a spark of blue as he sped through the corridors of the base in a matter of seconds before reaching the treasury. It was a large safe tucked away in a side-room of Nezumi's office.

He placed his palm on the door of the safe before channelling his lightning through it, allowing the conductive properties of the metal door to absorb the lightning. He upped the voltage though, and kept increasing it until the metal started superheating. The portion of the door his palm rested on eventually turned red from the heat it was forced to endure before Luffy drove his hand through it, before unlatching the safe from the inside.

As the door swung open, Luffy was greeted with the sight of large stacks of money. He estimated there was at least 70 million beli inside. There were a few odd jewels and other trinkets as well. Luffy wasted no time and proceeded to load everything into a sack he pilfered from the room.

After he was done emptying the safe, he looked around the room to see if he could spot anything else of value. Unfortunately there wasn't much else worth mentioning. He did take something of interest though, that being Nezumi's ledger along with the diary the idiot saw fit to keep.

As he was making his way out of the office, the screams of the Marines stationed at the base reached his ears along with the accompanying explosions. He smirked to himself. It looked like his girls wasted no time in getting the party started.

Luffy stepped out onto the courtyard of the base to see a scene that could only be described as the stuff of nightmares to young Marines. There was blood and bodies strewn all over the place as his crew tore through the place with vicious ease.

Kuina danced through large numbers of Marines, cutting them down like they were paper dolls. Blood was spraying all over the courtyard as none could escape the range of her blade. The soldiers became more and more fearful and apprehensive of getting closer to her as she slashed through their ranks like a whirlwind of death. Many soldiers tried to beg for mercy, but Kuina heard none of it. She was a woman possessed as she sliced through their bodies without batting an eyelash, the cold look in her eyes not doing anything to assuage the mounting terror that was building up in those men and women.

Shizuku wasn't any more merciful as she was literally punching people to death with an expressionless look on her face. Heads were sent flying and limbs were plucked from their sockets and used as weapons to beat people to death with absolute ease. It wasn't even a challenge for her. She literally crushed a large number of them when she ripped off the wall of one of the buildings and dropped it on a group of them, instant death was the only outcome. She took to using their own cannon balls, which were about as light as regular tennis balls to her, and threw them with deadly and destructive precision causing massive explosions to rock the base. The sadistic gleam in her eyes as she carried out her orders was something that drove a stake of fear into the hearts of the scrambling soldiers.

Bisca was a lot cleaner in her dealings, but no less deadly. Bullets kept finding the centre of Marine soldier's foreheads with practiced efficiency. Her quick-draw and situational awareness meant that most of the soldiers were dead before they even comprehended what was happening. It was a quick and painless death. More than some of them deserved.

Reiju was a lot less forgiving in her methods. Her brutal kicks caved in the chests of many soldiers, leaving them to choke on their own blood as the life drained from their bodies. Her poisoned tipped blades were quick to find the mark too as she went for a more potent poison compared to the one she used on Kurobi. This one circulated their bodies a lot quicker, causing extreme amounts of pain and suffering. It would extend that suffering for at least 10 minutes before it snuffed out their lives. For them, it was 10 minutes too long.

In short, it was an absolute massacre. Luffy was honestly a bit surprised at the brutality that was shown by his crew. He expected as much from Kuina and Shizuku, given the formers profession and the latter's circumstances. Bisca though, was the one on the crew that seemed to be the most empathetic. But if he considered her area of expertise, it made a sense to him. As a sniper, killing was part of the job. One doesn't become a sniper by knocking out victims. You had to be a precision killer that never missed their mark. It seemed as though Bisca was just more versed in switching between mind-sets, something that seemed appropriate for a professional killer. Reiju as well surprised him. Then again, considering that she was raised by a famous pirate and was surrounded by pirate patrons on a daily basis, it probably desensitized her to such levels of violence.

Luffy wasn't complaining though. He was happy that his crew could take care of themselves if push came to shove and weren't squeamish about getting their hands dirty. He hoped to never have to repeat this unsightly scene again, but with the way the world was today, he highly doubted this would be the last he witnessed such carnage.

He didn't want to be a captain that stood on the side-lines though. So after flashing away with their haul and dropping it off in the ship they stole, Luffy appeared in the middle of the base with a large number of soldiers surrounding him.

He had a malevolent look in his eyes as he eyes the fodder that surrounded him.

"Surrender pirate scum!" One of the braver Marine officers shouted at him, his voice clearly trembling in fear. Bravery or stupidity. Luffy could never tell.

Luffy just grinned wickedly at them, causing them to gulp audibly. Suddenly his killing intent spiked, freezing the Marines in place, putting the fear of god into them before he uttered a single word.

" **Discharge"**

A thick ring of blue electricity was released from his body, sweeping through the surrounding area, frying anyone it came into contact with. Soldiers dropped to the ground, all life having left their eyes as the current fried their nervous systems and shut down all activity of the brain. They were dead to the world.

The smell of burnt flesh permeated through the air as many of the soldiers, who were further away from him, started to back away. Fear having overridden their common sense, they fired their guns at Luffy frantically. To their absolute horror, the bullets just phased through his body. Leaving being a few sparks of electricity as they entered the bodies of those soldiers who were standing directly opposite the ones that shot. Even more dropped dead, and this was at the hands of their own comrades.

Luffy held up both hands, his fingers mimicking the pose of a gun. A small blue orb sprang to life at the tip of each finger.

" **Static Revolver"**

Sharp lances of lighting rapidly sprung forth from his fingers, like a gun firing bullets, and pierced the bodies of whichever soldiers he pointed to. The speed with which Luffy was able to fire off his lightning 'bullets' was untraceable to their untrained eyes. All they could perceive, was flashes of blue and dead bodies falling to the ground.

After the job was done, Luffy held his fingers up to his mouth before cheekily blowing the smoke off and playfully holstering his fingers at his side.

He smirked at the remaining Marines, ready to unleash a little more devastation upon them. But he saw the rest of his crew finishing up. It seems they became bored by the tedious amount of easy work they were doing. They lost interest fast. Luffy vanished in a flash of lighting before appearing at the front of the ship. He signalled the girls to pull back and they obeyed. It didn't take long for them to reach his side. They were covered in a lot of blood, but he ignored it. There were still a few Marines who were alive but they didn't even think of taking a step further out of the pure terror that they were experiencing.

Luffy looked to Nezumi, who was still strapped to the mast and had to smirk at the look of unadulterated fear that was plastered on his face. Luffy wanted to beat the shit out of the rat, but decided that a psychological attack was much more satisfying. Luffy wouldn't kill him. No. Death is the easy way out for trash like him. He will live the rest of his life with the knowledge of the one sided massacre that he had a front row seat to today. The pure, undisputed fear that was carved into his psyche will haunt him for the rest of his miserable life.

Luffy made eye contact with each member of his crew before motioning them to sit back and watch.

He raised his left arm to the air, his palm facing the sky. It was a motion that drew confused stares from his crew. A few minutes passed and still nothing happened. They were getting a little agitated but their attention was drawn by a gasp of shock from one of the Marines that was still alive. They looked in his direction and saw him looking up to the sky in absolute horror.

They followed his gaze and felt their eyes widening in astonishment at what they were witnessing.

The sky had darkened considerably. But that wasn't the issue. The problem was the gathering of a thick covering of thunderclouds that were churning in the sky. They were circling each other slowly, making it look like a whirlpool in the sky with a 'black hole' opening up in the centre. Arcs of lightning were randomly discharged. The 'black hole' in the middle of the whirlpool sparked to life as an orb of blue lightning condensed itself to life in the space provided.

Many of the Marines that were still alive dropped their weapons in dismay and fell to their knees. The looks of hopelessness and resigned acceptance could be seen across their faces. Many prayed to whatever gods they could for salvation. Others cried tears of anguish and denial. None of it could save them from Luffy's wrath though.

His crew just watched his back with stunned silence. They knew their captain was strong, but they never imagined that he could do something like this. It just solidified their belief and their loyalty to the man they had chosen to follow.

Luffy's cold, unforgiving gaze swept across the plaza, making eye contact with every Marine present. Time seemed to slow down as he almost whispered the last word they would ever hear.

" **Judgement"**

The sky sparked to life as a colossal beam of condensed lightning tore through the atmosphere and struck the base with absolute ferocity. It was like the hammer of god descending to purge the wicked from this world. There was no pain. There was no escape. There was just annihilation.

A bright flash of blue lit up the skies before a deafening thunderclap rang out throughout East Blue. The sound could be heard by many of the surrounding areas and the flash of blue in the sky could be seen from the farthest reaches of East Blue.

As quickly as the phenomenon came, it was gone. Like a whisper in the wind. Its work was done. When the Blood Moon Pirates surveyed the island once they could open their eyes again, after being almost blinded by the flash, the saw a scene that will be the stuff of nightmares for the World Government for years to come.

There was a giant hole where the Sixteenth Branch of the Marines used to be. There were a few large chunks of rock floating in the ocean, broken off from the island. But other than that, there was no evidence of there ever being a Marine base there to begin with.

The girls didn't know if they could get any more shocked at the power that their captain so casually displayed. But he seemed to keep finding new ways to do so.

Luffy dropped his hand to his side, before turning around and walking to Nezumi. He unshackled the catatonic man and flashed him to one of the floating chunks of rock. Luffy unceremoniously dumped his body along with the man's ledger and diary. Nezumi still didn't show any response other than staring blankly into space, a look if terror on his face. Luffy sneered at him one last time before flashing to his crew.

He gave them a silent nod, signalling to them it was time to set off.

"Good work everyone. I know it wasn't a good idea to draw as much attention to us as this probably will, but I guess I couldn't help myself. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. This is the real start of our journey. There's a long road ahead of us, but we will blow away anyone or anything that dares stand in our way!" Luffy exclaimed, getting hearty cheers from his girls. Luffy smiled at them, thankful for such a loyal, passionate group of friends. His bad mood seemingly lifted, Luffy announced their next course of action. "We have a crapton of money to splurge right now, along with plenty of weapons and ammunition. We even have us this shiny new ship. But it's a bit too big and gaudy for my liking. Plus I doubt that we can handle a ship this large with just the five of us. There's a shipwright close to Loguetown that has a good reputation. We'll make a stop there and have him reduce and remodel this ship to suit our tastes. It won't be the best, but it will do for now, at least until we can find a more skilled shipwright to build us something better. Shizuku, set our course and give Reiju the instructions needed to keep us on course. Then I want you to grab your sketchbook and art supplies. We'll hammer out a cool design for our new ship." He ordered, getting affirmative responses from his crew, who scrambles to their positions.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The Blood Moon Pirates were currently docked on Skillet Island. It was an industrial island not too far from the entrance of the Grand Line, being just 20 kilometres west of Loguetown.

They were currently docked here, with their stolen Marine vessel, to search out a somewhat famous shipwright in East Blue to build them a ship.

Luffy and Reiju disembarked and made their way through the island while the rest stayed behind. They asked around town, and got their answer from the locals that a man called Gumball is the guy they need to see for a quality ship.

It took about 10 minutes for them to get to Gumball's workshop, following the directions they got from the locals. It was a fairly regular looking workshop. Their knock was answered by an older man with a large blue afro and a bright orange jumpsuit. He wore unnecessarily large pink sunglasses that were shaped like stars. He was also missing a large number of teeth and had a horrifyingly crooked nose. All in all, he's the kind of guy that parents would tell their kids about to scare them into behaving better. Luffy and Reiju, to their credit, didn't bat an eyelash. At least externally. Luffy had to try hard to supress his natural instincts to point obnoxiously and laugh. He held himself back though.

"I'm looking for a man called Gumball. I was told he was the best at building ships in these parts." Luffy said.

"Kakakaka! You're at the right place, my fly looking brother. Gumball's the name. Ship buildings' my game. So watcha looking for?" The strange man, Gumball, inquired.

Luffy had to take a second to collect himself from the close exposure to such a colourful personality.

"Well, we're actually pirates. So do you have anything against building us a ship?" Luffy questioned.

"Nah. I build ships, brother. All kinds and all sizes. What people do with them afterwards ain't my business." Gumball reassured.

"That's a relief. We actually stole a Marine battle ship not too long ago and was wondering if you could use it as a base to build us a ship. We're looking for something on the smaller size as we're only a crew of five at the moment, with possibly a few more joining later. But we don't want it being too small. We want enough room for lodging and other little additions. My navigator is actually quite the artist and we have a design on paper as well as certain features that we require. Do you think this is possible?" Luffy questioned as he presented the design that he and his crew put together.

Gumball whistled in appreciation at the design the Luffy presented to him.

"You already did all the hard work, brother. You gave me a design and a template ship to work with. It's simple from here on out. Give me five days and you'll have your superfly ship." Gumball said as he flashed them a cheesy thumbs up. Luffy just sweat dropped but gave him a thumbs up in return. Gumball looked at Reiju, expecting the same, but she just stared coldly at him…causing the poor guy to break out into a nervous sweat. "Kakaka…I…should probably get to work." He said nervously as he slowly backed away before entering his workshop and hastily shutting the door.

Luffy just sweat dropped at his cooks scary personality. Not that he had much room to talk. The two of them decided to meet up with the rest of the crew and book a few rooms for the next five days while their ship was being built. A nice relaxing week didn't sound too bad.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

At the time the Blood Moon Pirates were having their ship built, in a large building with multiple levels, surrounded my many Marine personnel, a very important meeting was taking place.

In the main meeting room, there was a long table that stretched the entire length of the room. It was filled with very official and important looking Marines. They were all listening intently to what was being said.

A hand was slapped hard against the board in the front of the room, by the man who was addressing them. There were four bounty posters plastered on the board. Those four being that of Buggy the Clown, Kuro of 'A Thousand Plans', Don Krieg and 'Saw-Tooth' Arlong.

"Four of the highest bounties in East Blue, taken out like they were common rubble. According to reports, Kuro and Don Krieg were taken out by the second-in-command and the navigator respectively. The captain didn't even waste his time with them. He also took out the highest bounty, Arlong, in a fraction of a second. These are highly trained and dangerous pirates. If that wasn't enough, then horrific assault on the former Sixteenth Branch, and the state Captain Nezumi was left in is a clear indication just how hazardous these rookies really are. We will not take the assault to one of our own lying down! This is why it these bounties are unprecedented! But it is necessary. For Justice!" The man, Brennew, announced.

"For Justice!" The other Marines in the room echoes.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The Blood Moon Pirates stood on the dock of Skillet Island, looks admiration on their faces as they took in the sight of their newly built ship.

It was a beautiful sight to behold. It was a decent sized ship, smaller than the original battle ship but slightly larger than an average caravel. It had a single mast with a crow's nest. There was enough deck space as well as black sails with their mark painted on. The ship was crimson coloured, with gold accents. There were cannons mounted at the front and on both sides of the ship. The most eye catching feature though was the figurehead of what looked like a deviously smirking woman. The eye area of the figurehead was gold as well and the 'hair' area was a lighter shade of the regular crimson colour, being more close to auburn. All in all, it was a badass looking ship, in Luffy's opinion.

"Wow. You did an amazing job, Gumball." Luffy praised.

"I have to agree. It looks quite intimidating." Kuina added.

"It certainly looks like it could get us through the Grand Line. Plus it looks easier to handle compared to the one we stole before." Bisca commented.

"Hmm…it definitely scores points for beauty." Reiju remarked.

"Perfect." Shizuku's one-liner summing up their thoughts perfectly.

"Kakakaka! I'm glad you like it, brother. It's definitely one flashy ship, that's for sure. It's big enough to fit ten individual bedrooms. They can be converted into something else if you need more space. There's a fully stocked kitchen, with a small greenhouse in the adjacent room for growing vegetables, and other such plants. There is a training room with weights and a dojo. You've got an armoury and a large safe for valuables. There's also a few prison cells at the bottom of the ship. Most importantly though, there's a large bath area on the top floor. I didn't have much space to work with, but I managed to fit all the specs you wanted. Here's an instruction manual as well as a map. Good Luck, brother." Gumball said as he handed Luffy a small booklet, which he immediately gave to Shizuku, as well as a page with the ships floor plan. "All that's left to do is name her." Gumball advised.

Luffy put him hand on his chin and took up a thinking pose. He carefully scrutinised the ship from top to bottom. Carefully taking in the figurehead and the Jolly Roger.

"I've got it!" He announced, getting the attention of his crew as well as Gumball. "Since we're the Blood Moon Pirates, I think it's only fitting that we stick with the moon theme. Therefore, it's only natural that our ship be named after the moon goddess. It will be…The Artemis."

The girls looked visibly impressed at the suggestion.

"I like it!" Kuina nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, it has a real air of mystery to it." Bisca pondered.

"It's only fitting that such a beautiful ship be named after a powerful goddess. I think it's perfect." Reiju commented.

"Captivating." That obviously came from Shizuku.

Being satisfied with the work done, Luffy paid Gumball the amount owing before boarding his new ship.

"Alright crew! Listen up! The next stop is Loguetown. The last stop before the Grand Line. Let the first journey of The Artemis begin!" Luffy announced, getting energetic cheers from his crew.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It's been a day since they left Skillet Island on their new ship and the Blood Moon Pirates were enjoying the open waters so far. The Artemis sailed smoothly through the waters and was much faster than any ship they've experienced so far.

They were relaxing after a few hours of intense training in their new training room. There were various individual exercises that they performed on their own, from lifting and swinging weights, to shadow boxing, target practice, endurance training and even meditation. Strangely enough though, when they were done with their individual training, Luffy had them get together for group training. That wasn't the strange part. No what was strange was that he put them in pairs, with one person blindfolded and sitting in a seiza position with the other person swinging at them from behind with a shinai in an attempt to hit them. According to Luffy, the aim was for the blindfolded person to dodge. When they were sceptical of that actually being possible, he assumed the position and had Shizuku swing at him. She missed 100 percent of the time. Suffice to say, they were shocked at his inhuman senses. Therefore, they got to their task without complaining. He didn't tell them how to achieve it, he simply said that he wanted to see how far they would get. He promised that he would explain it eventually.

They were all currently relaxing in various states. Luffy was lying on his back on the deck, looking up at the sky. Kuina was casually leaning up against the side of the ship, enjoying the wind in her hair. Shizuku was stoically manning the helm, making sure they were on course. Reiju was relaxing on a reclining chair wearing an outrageously skimpy bikini which, strangely enough, drew zero reactions from her crew mates. Bisca was currently paying the News Coo for her paper.

Luffy looked curiously as the bird flew off.

"You know, I've always wondered. There must be thousands of pirates with News Coo subscriptions. Why doesn't the World Government just find some way to track the birds? That way, they would lead them to any pirate crew they want." Luffy pondered out loud, drawing curious stares and raised eyebrows from the girls. Now that he mentioned it…Why didn't the Government do that? One of the mysteries of the world.

Their thoughts were cut off by a gasp from Bisca. They looked to her, only to see her staring at the paper in shock.

"Bisca? What's wrong? Luffy asked worriedly. She shook her head to get rid of the surprise and looked at her captain.

"You should take a look for yourself, boss." She said, as she placed five wanted posters on the deck. The rest of the crew gathered around and looked at what caught her attention.

 **Wanted Dead or Alive**

' **Deadshot' Busujima Bisca**

 **ß** **28 000 000**

The picture consisted of Bisca standing on the roof of Arlong Park, her left hand on her hip and her right hand casually holding her rifle to her shoulder. A mischievous smirk on her face.

 **Wanted Dead or Alive**

' **Black Widow' Ryuzaki Reiju**

 **ß** **34 000 000**

Reiju's picture consisted of her posing sexily with a seductive look on her face. The slit on her dress showing off her creamy leg as she had her hand on her thigh holster that carried her knives.

 **Wanted Dead or Alive**

' **Sleeping Dragon' Saotome Shizuku**

 **ß** **40 000 000**

Shizuku's poster was of her standing in the middle of a bunch of limbless and headless Marines, covered in a little blood. Her face completely expressionless but her eyes gleaming sadistically.

 **Wanted Dead or Alive**

' **Death Reaper' Kimishima Kuina**

 **ß** **47 000 000**

Kuina's poster was similar to Shizuku's in that she was surrounded by the bodies she cut up in the Sixteenth Branch. Her battle kimono was stained with blood, as was Wadou Ichimonji which was gleaming dangerously. The cold look in her eyes only added to the menacing image.

 **Wanted Dead or Alive**

' **The Archfiend' Monkey D. Luffy**

 **ß** **70 000 000**

Luffy's poster looked the most menacing of them all. It showed him standing upright, his long black hair and coat seemingly blowing in the wind. A malevolent look was plastered on his face with cruel looking eyes. In his hand was a beating heart. The same one he ripped out of Arlong's chest. In the background, the sky was dark and there were arcs of blue lightning. Luffy didn't remember that being part of that scene. Did they paint it in?

"Aww man! I look like a total psychopath! They're totally making me out to look like a bad guy!" Luffy whined as he stared at his poster.

"Err boss…you are a bad guy…" Bisca tentatively pointed out. All she got in response was an admittedly adorable pout from her captain that drew giggles out of the rest of his crew, minus Shizuku whose eye's just lit up in laughter.

Luffy pouted even more at his crew poking fun at him before teleporting to the corner of the ship where he was crouching with a raincloud over his head and drawing circle on the ground with his finger, which only made them laugh more.

"Well, at least the pictures they used are good. We look sexy and dangerous. A good image boost for our crew I would say." Reiju commented, pleased with her wanted poster. "But still…these are pretty outrageous bounties for a bunch of rookies. I mean, the lowest bounty on our crew is still 8 million more than the previously highest bounty in East Blue." She pointed out.

"The strength of our crew always guaranteed us a high bounty. Especially considering how weak the opponents in this part of the sea are. But the attack on the Sixteenth Brand is probably what amplified it exponentially. Headquarters are probably treating it like direct challenge to them and painted an even larger target on our backs." Bisca voiced her thoughts.

"We should probably get out of East Blue as soon as possible. I'm not too worried about any Marines coming after us. But right now, we are sitting ducks here in East Blue. They know we are probably heading to the Grand Line. They may have already taken measures to prevent us from reaching it. The sooner we get there, the more freedom we'll have to act." Kuina argued logically, getting nods of agreement from the rest.

"That's a good point." Luffy stated as he seemingly appeared next to Kuina, scaring the crap out of her. "Shizuku, how long till we get to Loguetown?"

"One hour. Forty two minutes."

"Excellent. That gives us enough time to get in. Get our business done. And get the fuck out of there. The News Coo just arrived with the new posters, so there's a chance that the Marines stationed there are still in the dark or at the very least severely unprepared. We need to keep a low profile and restock quickly." He stated, getting nods of understanding from the girls. "Reiju, take as much as you need from the treasury and make sure our food supply is fully stocked. Take Shizuku with you to help you carry it around." He ordered, getting nods from both of them. "Bisca, I want you to purchase about fifteen baby Den Den Mushi as well as a large one for the ship. We have enough ammunition and tools but if you come across something you think we need, buy it." Bisca gave him a mock salute in response. "Kuina, I remember you telling me earlier that you wanted to get another sword. There should be a weapons store in town. I'm not sure if you'll find anything worth mentioning, but a good quality one to tide you over till we find another Meito should be good enough." Kuina nodded in acceptance. "Of course, feel free to buy whatever else you girls may want for yourselves. I'm going to go check out the execution platform where the Pirate King was executed. I think it may be an enlightening experience." Luffy stated before his crew got ready to disembark and carry out their orders.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Luffy was currently walking through Loguetown at a leisurely pace. He had just visited an old bar that was apparently frequented by Gold Roger himself. It certainly was entertaining listening to the many stories the barkeep had about the man.

He made sure to keep an eye on his crew though. He could faintly feel their aura's on the edge of his senses. His range normally couldn't cover an entire island, especially one as big as Loguetown, but the overwhelming difference in the quality of the aura's of his crew compared to everyone else was easily noticeable to him. Not to say there weren't others with noticeable auras as well, because there were. But the amount of time spent with his crew made it easy for Luffy to pick them out of a crowd.

He also gathered some info about the local Marine captain, and it wasn't the most pleasant news. Apparently Captain Smoker had a 100 percent record for stopping pirates from entering the Grand Line. If that wasn't enough, he had a Logia class devil fruit. That didn't bode well for his crew. Luckily, he had confidence he could take the man on in a fight. His crew weren't ready for someone like him though. He would need to amp up their haki training.

He used his Kenbunshoku haki to carefully avoid running into Smoker and making sure none of his crew got close to him as well.

He came to a stop though, as he entered the plaza. This was the same plaza that the Pirate King walked through as he went to his execution. The platform was visible at the front as well. It stood like a monument of Gold Rogers last moments.

He knew he was supposed to be keeping a low profile, but the temptation to see the same view as the last one the Pirate King saw was too much to resist.

With that in mind, Luffy rapidly scaled the platform till his feet were firmly planted the top. He took a deep breath in and savoured the sight in front of him, ignoring the officer ordering him to get down from the platform.

The officer's warnings though, were cut off as he took a massive iron club to the face. Luffy's attention was immediately drawn to the figure in front of him, having long sensed her entering the plaza.

"You'll have to wait your turn, little man" She told the officer she knocked out before focusing her gaze on Luffy. "I've missed you, Luffy." She said sweetly. "It's been a while. Now don't tell me it's possible that you've forgotten this face."

Luffy for his part, had a strained smile on his face. A bead of sweat rolled down the corner of his face. He honestly didn't know what to do in a situation like this.

"Alvida. You certainly look…different." He wanted to shout 'like less of a walking fucking monstrosity' but he kept his tongue in check. There was no need to be needlessly impolite, especially to someone that didn't seem to have much negativity towards him. And Alvida did look different. In fact, if he wasn't already familiar with her aura, he would think she was a totally different person. She was taller, slimmer, with unblemished skin and a killer figure. All in all, she became extremely beautiful. How? Luffy had no fucking idea. "You lost your freckles." He finally blurted out. The reaction he got though, was one that made him think that maybe he should have went with his first answer.

Alvida's face lit up in unrestrained joy at his comment, a deep blush coming across her face as she gazed at him in pure adoration.

"You noticed! Oh I'm so happy! I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you struck me that day. My body still remembers that wonderful sensation." She purrs out while hugging her body and shuddering in pleasure.

Alarms immediately started going off in Luffy's head. His instincts were warning him. Begging him. To get the fuck out of there and never look back. He felt more danger from Alvida's lustful gaze than any other opponent he's ever faced. It's been a long time since he experienced it. But Luffy can honestly say that he felt fear in that moment.

Suddenly, Alvida was surrounded by Marine officers who wasted no time in opening fire for assaulting an officer. Unfortunately for them though, the bullets just slid off Alvida's skin and back to them.

Luffy looked on in interest at this development.

"As you can see, Luffy darling, I ate the Sube Sube no Mi. My skin will now allow anything that come into contact with it to just slip off." She informed dreamily. Luffy really needed to get the fuck out of there. His chastity was in serious danger if the rape face Alvida was directing at him was any indication.

Luffy languidly stepped to the side, avoiding the pillory that attempted to capture him. He tiredly turned around to spot Cabaji, the acrobat from the Buggy Pirates that Kuina fucked up.

Cabaji nervously looked at him, not expecting him to have avoided his attempt, and was about to speak up before Luffy forcefully cut him off. With a backhand to the face, sending him flying through the air and getting lodged into the wall on the far end.

"Cabaji!" A nasally voice cried out.

Luffy turned his half lidded gaze only to spot the big red nose of Buggy.

"Oh, it's you." He drawled out.

"WHAT KIND OF REACTION IS THAT?!" Buggy shouted with shark teeth in his mouth.

Luffy just gazed at him with a look that said he was on the same level as a cockroach. Luffy wasn't in the mood to entertain any of Buggy's rubbish today and he already drew too much attention to himself. He needed to get back to his ship quickly.

He raised his finger and pointed it to a now nervously sweating Buggy.

" **Spark Shot"**

A blue lightning 'bullet' was fired from the tip of his finger, hitting Buggy dead on. Causing him to light up comically, his skeleton being visible from the electric shock, before dropping to the ground, smoking.

Alvida had hearts in her eyes at his cool display. Luffy decided to cut his losses and get the fuck out of there. But not before he did something important.

"I'M GOING TO BE THE PIRATE KING!" He shouted out, silencing the plaza as everyone looked at him with varying levels of shock. For someone to have the audacity to announce that while standing on the spot that the last Pirate King was killed.

He ignored Alvida's calls for him to come back as he vanished in a blur of speed. He had confidence that nobody in this town could catch him. He switched directions though, when he sensed two familiar auras. The weather wasn't looking too good either. There seemed to be a massive storm coming in.

"Hey girls. Nice weather we're having." He commented as he casually ran up next to Kuina and Bisca.

They both just shot him a dead-pan stare, clearly they weren't in the mood for his antics. Bisca seemed to have already dropped off her cargo as she only had a large backpack on her back. He noticed that Kuina had two new swords strapped to her waist. One of them was giving off and interesting aura.

Their running came to a screeching halt though as a Marine officer skidded into their path. Her sword already being draw. The reason for the stop though, was because of the way the woman looked. Luffy had to do a double take when he saw her. She looked almost exactly like his first-mate. She had the same hair colour, except her hair being cut into a bob, and same facial features.

That's where the similarities end though. This officer was a bit slouched and seemed to lack a bit of confidence. Whereas Kuina was brimming with it. Kuina walked upright, with an elegant gait, like a sharpened katana. Deadly and beautiful. Her lookalike seemed a lot more reserved.

"Senchō, please go on ahead. I will deal with this." Kuina said blankly. Her face expressionless and her intense eyes drilling a hole in the officer in front of them.

Luffy knew better than to argue and had full confidence in his second in command.

"Finish it quickly." He ordered, getting a confident smirk in response. He nodded in response before speeding off, knowing there was a fight waiting for him as well if the aura he was sensing was anything to go by.

 **[Kuina Vs Tashigi]**

Tashigi looked at Kuina, her face showing indignation.

"So you're the famous Kimishia Kuina, the former 'Pirate Huntress'. You're a pirate now. For a villain like you to be wielding such a magnificent katana. I can't stand that the most beautiful blades in the world are in the hands of such scoundrels, being used to commit heinous crimes for fame and money. It's unforgivable!" Tashigi shouted. "It's my life's mission to remove those blades from the possession of pirates like you, starting with your Meito, the Wadou Ichimonjio. It shall be confiscated!"

Kuina just stared at her coldly, not a flicker of emotion on her face.

"Are you done yet, trash?" Kuina drawled out, barely even acknowledging Tashigi's presence. "We're on a bit of a tight schedule and my captain is expecting me soon, so I don't really have much time to be entertaining delusional little girls. Come at me so I can cut you down like the government dog you are and get on with my life." She finished with a sneer.

Tashigi's face went red with embarrassment and anger at being treated like a nuisance.

"Don't you dare look down on me!" She shouted as she rushed Kuina with her Shigure.

As she got closer, Kuina lazily held up her Wadou to block the strike. It wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn't for the fact the sword wasn't even fully drawn. Kuina only pulled out about a quarter of the blade to block Tashigi's slash. Tashigi didn't let that deter her though, and kept up her attack. Swift slashes were directed towards Kuina, attempting to get into her guard and strike her down.

The rain was beating down hard on the two combatants. But as the minutes ticked by, Tashigi was getting more and more agitated. Finally, after another one of her strikes were dodged, she exploded.

"Why won't you draw your sword?! Why won't you fight me?! Is it because I'm a woman?! Is that why you're looking down on me?!" Tashigi raged. Kuina just raised a single eyebrow and looked at her like she was an idiot. Which, in Kuina's mind, she was.

"You might need a new prescription for those glasses, trash. If you haven't noticed it already, I'm a woman too." Said Kuina in a slow voice like she was speaking to someone mentally challenged. Tashigi's face reddened even more.

"Then why won't you draw!?" She raged.

Kuina just smirked haughtily in response.

"I don't make it a habit of hunting rabbits with a cannon. There's no need for me to stain my blade with the blood of such a weakling. You simply aren't worth the effort, trash." Kuina mocked.

Tashigi's face contorted into one of anger and hatred.

"How dare you look down on me?! Pirate scum like you has no right! And my name is Tashigi!"

Kuina didn't respond with words as she blurred from her spot before appearing before a shocked Tashigi, catching her with a brutal elbow to the nose, fracturing it as well as breaking her glasses. Tashigi cried out in pain at the surprise blow before being kneed in the spine. She arced her back in an attempt to alleviate the pain. That did nothing but give Kuina another opening, which she readily took. She hooked her arm around Tashigi's exposed neck, taking a few seconds to hold her on a chokehold, before flipping her over her back in planting her on the ground face down, hard. Tashigi's sword went clanging to the side, away from her reach, not that she would be able to as she was in far too much pain at the moment.

Her humiliation wasn't over though as Kuina stood over her and planted her foot on Tashigi's head, pushing it down into the dirt.

"I can't stand the fact some World Government dog has the same face as me. Of course, it's only my face that was copied and none of the skill it seems." Kuina mocked. "Let me make something clear to you, trash. I don't like you. You're a self-righteous bitch who seems to think that swords are meant to be pretty little wall decorations. Newsflash dumbass, they are tools meant for fighting and killing. You say that all the swordsman of the world today use their swords for fame and money. But aren't you getting paid by the Marines to swing that sword of yours at pirates. So how are you any different? As a matter of fact, you said that you plan to take all of the Meito's off the hands of 'pirate scum', yes? Well, that sounds like the behaviour of a pirate to me. Hoarding and gathering treasure for your own selfish desires."

"No! You're wro-"

Tashigi's muffled voice was cut off as Kuina stomped down on her head.

"I didn't give you permission to speak, trash. You're nothing but a worthless hypocrite. I wouldn't expect anything less from a Marine." Kuina spat out. "Let me make something clear to you right now. Don't ever think of comparing yourself to me. You are nowhere near my level, weakling. Your swing lacks purpose. Your blade is empty. You have no resolve. You. Are. Weak." Kuina punctuated each word with a stomp to the head. Tears were rolling down Tashigi's face at the pain and humiliation that she was facing. "Until you find that resolve, never appear before me again. You aren't worth my effort. And as far as your name goes. I heard what it was. But as far as I'm concerned, your name is Trash. Until you can prove me otherwise." Kuina sneered before finishing with a hard kick to Tashigi's side, like she was kicking a soccer ball, sending the Marine flying and crashing into one of the surrounding buildings. As she hit the wall, she screamed out in pain before crumpling into the ground and curling up into a foetal position in an attempt to mitigate the pain she was feeling. Kuina just scoffed at her in disdain before taking off after her captain.

Winner: Kuina

 **[Luffy Vs Smoker]**

After leaving Kuina behind to deal with her doppelganger, Luffy and Bisca ran a bit further along only to come to a stop not too far from where their ship was docked.

In their path was a large man on a motorcycle. He was dressed in a modified Marine uniform. There were cigars holstered on his arms and pockets. He had a large, muscular frame with white hair. He also had two cigars in his mouth that he was currently smoking. His motorcycle, strangely enough, was smoking as well.

"'The Archfiend'. Monkey D. Luffy. As Captain of the Loguetown base, you will not be making it to the Grand Line, pirate scum. No pirate has ever gotten past me and I will make damn sure that you won't be the first!" He roared out with a gruff voice. "Headquarters seems to think you're a treat and put a hefty bounty on your head. But I don't see the hype. After today, you will have new accommodations in the form of a cold prison cell." He finished before getting off his bike and standing in Luffy's way.

Luffy just smirked at him. His blood boiling a little at the prospect of a good fight. Something that he hasn't been able to experience since his fight with Shizuku.

"Bisca, get to the ship and get ready to set sail. I won't be long." He ordered, getting an affirmative nod from his sniper who swiftly jumped to the roof of the adjacent building and speeding off towards the ship. Smoker didn't even bother looking in her direction. His eye's being firmly planted in Luffy's direction.

"You're in for a rude awakening if you think you will be able to get past me, Archfiend."

"Shishishi, it's you who's in for a rude awakening, Smoky." Luffy teased.

Smoker didn't react, but his body started releasing white smoke. Suddenly his arms transformed into smoke as well before Smoker thrust them forward, causing two large pillars of smoke to shoot from his arms and speed towards Luffy. The smoke surrounded Luffy before closing in on his body and semi-solidifying, trapping Luffy.

He didn't panic though and used a simple application of **Soru** to vanish and appear to the left of Smoker. Luffy executed a roundhouse kick that took off Smokers head, which just dispersed into smoke before his body did the same before reforming a few meters away from Luffy.

Smoker took a few seconds to just stare at Luffy, seeming to take a measure of him. Luffy just smirked mischievously at him.

Smoker had a tick mark on his forehead at the irritating behaviour. He cocked his hand back before punching forward.

" **White Blow!"**

A huge pillar of condensed smoke rushed towards Luffy with impressive speed. He jumped over the attack though, with his inhuman leap. But Smoker wasn't someone to be underestimated and had his attack divert and follow Luffy like a homing missile.

Luffy surprised Smoker as he seemed to kick the air and change directions, heading straight for him. Smoker let go of his attack and initiated a new one in front of him to catch Luffy, but Luffy simply disappeared mid-air. Smoker was too slow to turn around as Luffy snuck up behind him.

Luffy punched through his head again, with the same result as before. But this time, he didn't anticipate Luffy snatching his jutte right off his back. As he reformed himself, Smoker clicked his tongue in frustration at letting his guard down so easily. He didn't expect Luffy to have such tremendous speed. It far outmatched his. But Luffy couldn't do much against him, to Smokers mind at least, due to him Logia defences. But with his Kairōseki jutte in hand, it could prove to be a real problem for Smoker.

At first, Luffy just snatched the jutte to mess with Smoker, but as he held it to his side and felt the tip come into contact with his leg, he felt the familiar effects of Kairōseki. He didn't even try to hold back the evil grin on his face as he looked at a slightly sweating Smoker.

Luffy was planning on getting at least one solid, debilitating haki enhanced hit on Smoker. To take him by surprise and knock him out. But he wasn't happy about that plan as he didn't want to expose his skill in haki before he reached the Grand Line. Although, whether the higher-ups would believe Smokers report of him being a haki user or just write it off as him making excuses for his loss was another thing. Luffy still didn't particularly like taking that chance though. But now that he had a nice Kairōseki weapon in hand, it made things a little easier for him.

Smoker immediately dispersed his body and rushed at Luffy briskly from four different angles. His detached hands and feet leading the way.

Luffy just smirked before vanishing in a burst of **Soru**. Smoker plunged into the area the Luffy once occupied, being too slow to catch him, before all the smoke coalesced back into his form. He carefully looked around, trying to spot his opponent. He didn't have much time to react though as Luffy appeared behind him in mid-air. Smoker was far too slow to react as Luffy jabbed him in the back of his neck with a solid thrust from the jutte. The Kairōseki bypassed Smokers Logia defences and his neck exploded in pain as he was flung forward.

Luffy didn't let up though as he disappeared once again and appeared above Smokers body that was sailing across the air and send five quick, powerful jabs to his back. Smoker grunted in pain as his body was forced to hit the ground, though it was still skidding across it. He eventually came to a stop in a heap.

Smoker took a few seconds to catch his breath and get to his knees. Pain wracking his body at the blows he received. It was the first time that he experienced such pain since he ate his fruit. He coughed up a gob of blood and slowly raised his head. Which was a bad idea, as in the process of raising his head he caught the appearance of black boots in his vision. It was too late to stop though. He looked up into the playful eyes of Luffy, who looked down at him from his position. Smoker gritted his teeth in impotence at the position he was forced to take in front of a pirate.

"Sorry Smoky, but you're not ready for my stage yet. Train up a bit more instead of relying on that devil fruit of yours." Luffy suggested, and Smoker wasn't sure is he was mocking him or being serious.

He didn't get a chance to think on it though as Luffy struck him in the throat with the tip of the jutte. The force of it knocked the breath out of Smoker and caused him to choke, in a futile attempt to take in air. It was for nothing though as the damage was done. Smoker passed out a few seconds later from the lack of oxygen.

Luffy looked down at Smoker without a hint of what he was thinking on his face before dropping the jutte on the ground and walking off in the direction of his ship.

"Stop pirate! Put your hands in the air and surrender!" A voice ordered as Luffy was suddenly surrounded by Marine officers. All having guns raised and pointed in his direction.

Luffy just exhaled in annoyance. He raised his hand and was about to take care of them, before his entire body stiffened.

Without warning, the atmosphere above Loguetown churned unnaturally. Suddenly there was a titanic gust of wind that swept through the town. Stands were turned over and people were blown off their feet. Many people scrambled for purchase in an attempt to stay upright and not be carried away by the powerful current. The sea surrounding Loguetown swayed violently in response to the strong gust.

The Marines surrounding Luffy were swept off their feet and blown out of his way.

Luffy was still stiff though as he was experiencing something different from the others. Just before the wind blew through the town, a monstrous presence erupted behind him. It was the largest and most powerful aura he's ever felt in his life. The only person even coming close to it being his grandpa. What was even more disconcerting was the fact that this person seemed to be standing behind him the entire time. He only released his presence when he caused the storm to blow through the town and his presence lit up like the sun to Luffy.

Luffy didn't move for a few seconds. Taking the time to regain his bearing after the shock he experienced. He slowly looked out of the corner of his eye without turning around. He spotted a man in a green cloak with red markings on his face. He recognised the man immediately. But he didn't give any outward reaction. Simply because he wasn't sure how to react. He just stared for a few seconds before nodding his head in thanks before vanishing from the spot and making his way back to his crew. At the very least, it didn't seem the man intended to cause Luffy and his crew any harm. If anything, he seemed to be aiding them.

Luffy put it out of his mind though as his ship came into view.

"Shizuku! Set sail!" He shouted.

It seems as though she heard him because the sails of his ship unfurled and caught the generous wind that was afforded to them and sped away from the bay.

Luffy kept his sprint up as the end of the bay approached. His ship was already quite a ways away. As his foot his the end of the dock, he kicked off the ground in a freakish leap and made it quite far into the ocean. He was just a bit short of his ship though. It wasn't a problem to Luffy, as it would be to others, as he kicked the air behind him and used it as a foothold and completed his journey and landed silently on the deck of his ship. He looked around and did a quick headcount and was pleased to note that all of his crew was present.

"Right! We're stocked up and ready to go. Shizuku, plot a course to Reverse Mountain." Luffy ordered. Shizuku took the helm as the rest of them scrambled to their position to assist their navigator.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The ocean was violent as a powerful storm raged through it as the Blood Moon Pirates approached Reverse Mountain. They could see the powerful upward current that wasn't too far away from their position. It was only a matter of minutes that they would catch the current and get a one-way trip to the Grand Line.

Their anticipation was interrupted though, by a cannon ball splashing near their ship and an obnoxious voice sounding over a loud speakerphone.

"Blood Moon Pirates! This is Rear Admiral Reckitt from the G7 base. I'm here for your capture! Surrender quietly!" The voice of Reckitt ordered.

Luffy just stared, at the four approaching Marine ships that were led by a larger warship, with half lidded eyes. He was getting really annoyed with Marines constantly getting in his way.

"Rei! Take the helm and keep up on course. Bisca, man the cannons and take out as many ships as you can. Shizuku, the crate of cannon balls that's placed near the helm is for you. Introduce those ships to as many as it takes to sink them! Kuina! You and I will make sure none of those cannon balls hit us. You take the right and I'll cover the left. We will not let them get in the way of out voyage." Luffy ordered, getting affirmative cries from his crew.

Bisca entered the level below the deck and prepared the cannon. She was a sniper, so one shot was all she needed. After calculating the angle that she needed, she primed the cannon. After locking onto one of the regular ships, she fired, sending it sailing beautifully towards the unsuspecting Marines.

The cannon ball struck dead centre of the ship, tearing through the body of the ship and destroying the hull. This, aided by the raging storm, caused the ship to tear down the middle and split in half. This caused a chain reaction as the large mast of the first ship broke off and crashed through the deck of the one next to them. Both ships were no longer in any state to pose a threat as the personnel had to focus on simply staying alive in this turbulent storm.

The other ship didn't have much luck either as they were us against something much worse in the form of an emotionless Shizuku who just kept chucking cannon balls at their ship at a blistering pace. They couldn't deal with the constant bombardment and the number of holes she opened up on their ships. The other two vessels besides the war ship were slowly singing into the ocean and fires raged on the decks from the extensive damage of Shizuku's assault.

The Rear Admiral didn't look as confident all of a sudden. When he was given this assignment, he thought it would be a walk in the park. Some wannabe rookie with an undeservingly high bounty from the weakest sea. It would have been what he needed to secure his promotion. But as he stared at the pirate captain who had his arm, which had blue sparks bursting to life around it, pointed at their warship…the Rear Admiral decided that next time, it would be prudent to actually read the reports that were given and take them seriously.

" **Railgun"**

Luffy uttered as a condensed beam of lightning was shot from his arm and tore through the space between The Artemis and the Marine warship. The wooden structure of the ship didn't stand a chance against the powerful beam as it tore through the wood like it was made of paper. An explosion rang out at the bottom of the ship as fire rapidly consumed it. It was slowly sinking into the ocean as it simply never stood a chance.

Luffy's thoughts were cut off though as a powerful current pulled their boat aside and sent it careening in the direction of Reverse Mountain.

He held on tightly to the figurehead as his crew took up various positions around the ship, holding onto whatever available surface they could as to not get thrown off.

The current directed them to the base of Reverse Mountain, at which point their ship started climbing the mountain, through the aide of the powerful stream of water. They all marvelled at the unnatural phenomenon.

They had to keep their wits about them though at they were rapidly approaching the top. After a few more seconds, they broke through the cloud cover and reached the peak of Reverse Mountain. It was a breathtakingly beautiful view as they beheld the world from above the clouds.

They were afforded a few seconds to take in the view, before they reached the edge and started their rapid descent into the Grand Line. There were excited smiles all around. A sense of great anticipation and adventure that was palpable. The silence was broken though, by Bisca's shout.

"Hey boss! Is there supposed to be another mountain in the way?" She shouted out her question as she looked to the front of the canal.

Luffy looked baffled at her question, before he focused his gaze to the front. He took in the massive wall of…something…that was lying dead centre to their route. He could only think of one word to sum up their situation.

"Shit…"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _ **That's the end of the East Blue Saga and the introduction portion of the story. The chapters will get a little shorter from here on put as I spread the arcs across a few chapters.**_

 _ **Damn! Kuina was a cold hearted bitch in this one. I don't know what made me write the scene with Tashigi in that manner…it just happened. But I like it. There's nothing I love more than a 'bad girl' and she was really amping up her stock in this one. It honestly felt as though I was channelling Itachi when I was writing her. Don't worry though, Tashigi won't end up like some brooding emo asshole. She will be a lot more driven though. She will be Kuina's rival.**_

 _ **The events and behaviour of the BM pirates in this chapter was also meant to show that they aren't like the Strawhats. They are not the 'good guys' so to speak. They are a morally reprehensible bunch and will do whatever the hell they want. They are also a lot less forgiving. I'm trying to make them out be kind of like anti-heroes, I guess.**_

 _ **For those of you wondering, and I know there are a few of you, Reiju's epithet isn't a reference to the Black Widow from the Avengers. It's actually inspired by the actual black widow spider, the female of which is said to possess extremely potent poison and it apparently decapitates whichever males it copulates with…so yeah…scary…**_

 _ **This is something that occurred to me as I was writing the scene with Smoker. I remember him saying that no pirates ever got past him. But Don Krieg went to the Grand Line not to long before Luffy. So did he get past Smoker or did he bypass Loguetown entirely? Or was it a plot hole? (Which I find hard to believe because…come on…it's Oda…)**_

 _ **I have zero knowledge of ships apart from what I've learn from One Piece. I apologise to all the ship aficionados out there for my horrible lack of detail.**_

 _ **About the ability Luffy showed with the Goro Goro no Mi…I didn't actually make any of those up. The attack which he used to destroy the Sixteenth Branch is a real attack. Enel used it when he tried to kill Conis. He had a larger scale one called the Raigou that he used to vaporize the entirety of Angel Island. This is why I love the Goro Goro no Mi. Such a badass fruit. And he really can gather thunderclouds as well. The way I see it…is that the power gives him a limited amount of control of the sky…the same way the Gura Gura no Mi give Whitebeard control of the earth.**_

 _ **Anyway…speaking of Enel…somebody asked what power did I plan on giving him. To be honest…I have no clue. I didn't think that far ahead teehee…But seriously, I was actually debating whether to do the Sky Island arc in the first place because it seems so detached from the rest of the world events…but then I remembered the Poneglyph and now I have to do it. I need a Logia class power to give to Enel…suggestions are welcome and needed. So far all I've got is a steam fruit. The dilemma I'm having as well is that if I give Enel too good of a power…I'll just be tempted to have Luffy kill him and take the fruit…but I don't want him to have any more fruit users on his crew then the one already in mind.**_

 _ **Anyway…this is the start of the Grand Line adventure. I'm not sure when the next update will occur. If you read my High School DxD story, you will know that my mid-semester break is almost over and I'm writing exams in the next month. I'll try to get some writing done of I can…but the next update probably won't be for another 2 months.**_

 _ **I'll see you guys…thanks for taking the time to read the chapter…till next time…**_

 _ **Lionheart021 out!**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Author Note:**_

 _ **Wow you guys are awesome! Thank you all for your suggestions regarding Enel's devil fruit…especially you Rogue Deity Master…that list you sent me was absolutely crazy. I'm definitely going to be using some fruits from there later on.**_

 _ **To 'Namikaze Uzumaki Potter' and 'BigBoss0684x' : I agree 100 percent that Dragons devil fruit is probably the storm fruit. It's one of the reasons that I didn't give Luffy that power. I always believed that he had an ability like that. He called down lightning, which struck the execution platform, saving Luffy. Plus he made a huge gust of wind blow through Loguetown. It's definitely something storm related. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks so. Thanks for the reviews**_

 _ **To 'WaMiLoe' : Damn! I wish I had thought about the Inu Inu no Mi: Model Raijuu at the start. I would have totally given that fruit to Luffy. Oh well it a bit too late for that and I'm happy with what he has so far. It may be because I'm a little petty and spiteful but there's no way in hell I'm giving that douchebag Enel a devil fruit as awesome as the one you mentioned. That would be way too badass for that dick.**_

 _ **To the reviewer who asked where the pictures for the bounty posters came from…I have no clue. It seems the Marines always have cameramen coincidentally placed in convenient areas for a photo-op. I've long stopped questioning it and accepted it as part of the One Piece world. I suggest you do the same for the sake of your sanity.**_

 _ **Also, to clear something up…seeing as though I didn't mention it in the last chapter. Kuina will not be a Santoryu user. She knows how to use Nittoryu though, thats a given. The reasons for the additional swords was for nostalgia. I couldn't leave Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu rusting away in a shop in East Blue. Think of Kuina having a wall display in her room with whatever beautiful katana she comes across put on display. She will use them eventually…but not as much as Wadou Ichimonji, which is her primary and signature weapon. The reason she didn't take Shigure was because she isn't the kind of person who would snatch away the treasure of someone who clearly cares about it. She may seriously dislike Tashigi but she could tell that she treasures Shigure and she isn't an 'evil' person. She wouldn't want someone taking away her Wadou…so it's that kind of thinking that made her leave that sword behind.**_

 _ **I know I said that I probably won't be updating for about two months…but damn! You guys with your awesome reviews and positive feedback just made me want to squeeze out this one last chapter before my mid-semester break ends. I was supposed to be relaxing and prepping for a new week of lectures but I'm writing fan fiction instead. FUUUUUCK! Oh well…A few lost hours won't affect my straight A's…:-P**_

Disclaimer: Another day has passed…and I still don't own One Piece…Fuck!

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 6: Thanks for the free booze, assholes**

"Wow…we're barrelling straight into it." Luffy languidly remarked as he gazed at the monstrosity in front of him.

"What are we going to do senchō?" Kuina questioned her captain, looking wholly unconcerned about potentially crashing to their death.

"Stop looking so fucking calm, you crazy sword bitch!" Bisca shouted comically at Kuina with shark-teeth in her mouth.

"Meh…there's no need to get so worked up Bisca. I'm sure our captain has a plan." Reiju advised as she casually leaned against the side of the ship, gazing at the obstacle with half-lidded eyes.

Bisca looked to her last bastion of hope…only to see Shizuku calmly sketching the view in front of them…heedless to the turbulent rain and wind…or the fact that they were about to crash into A FUCKING MOUNTAIN! Bisca just hung her head.

"I don't even know why I bothered." She muttered. Remembering the immovable nature of their navigator. The end of the world could be happening and she would probably be coolly sitting at a buffet stuffing her face with as much food as she could, while still managing to look elegant all the while. Suddenly, Bisca felt like crying. "Am I the only sane one on this ship?!" She raged.

"Shishishi! Don't fret so much, Bisca! You're just as sane as I am." Luffy tried to reassure her…which did nothing but send her further into her pit of depression. It was a well-established fact that her captain was a fucking lunatic! Bisca decided that she would ignore all the crazy antics of her crew for now…but made a mental note to go to her room later so that she could curl into a ball and cry. "But still…I should probably do something about this. I don't want our shiny new ship to be damaged by whatever the hell this is." Luffy pondered out loud.

They were closing in on it fast and it was starting to look even more colossal by the minute. Luffy jumped overboard and flipped mid-air to turn and face his ship head-on. He pushed his hands onto the figurehead and started rapidly kicking the air behind him. His unorthodox application of **Geppou** created massive air waves behind him and was actually working in slowing them down. Luffy pushed his body even further and kicked with all of his might, ignoring the strain on his legs. He kicked and kicked until his ship came to a crawl and gently bumped into the 'mountain' before leisurely floating in the waters before it.

Luffy used the figurehead to propel himself into the air and silently landed on the deck.

"Woohoo! Way to go boss!" Bisca heartily cheered, a look of relief plastered on her face.

"Hmph…I never doubted him for a second." Kuina scoffed at her…Prompting Bisca to pull her eyelid down and blow a raspberry in her direction. Kuina had a tic mark on her forehead the childish response and was sorely tempted to unsheathe her katana.

"But seriously…what is this thing. There wasn't any memo about an obstacle in the way of the entrance of the Grand Line. It's supposed to be open waters after passing the Twin Capes." Reiju commented. Luffy was scratching his head in confusion as well. He wondered if he should use his powers to vaporise the obstacle. But he didn't want to destroy a land-mark…if that's what it was supposed to be.

"Whale." Shizuku blandly pointed out…immediately catching the attention of the rest of the crew. They all took another look, a closer look…and realised that indeed…it was a big ass whale…

Just as they came to this realisation…its eye snapped opened and its gaze focused on them.

"Fuck." Luffy's comment summed up their thoughts as the whale opened its large mouth and swallowed the surrounding waters…including their ship. Luffy used Geppou to jump into the air and send a strong punch at the whale, doing nothing but angering it.

"Don't eat my ship you stupid whale!" Luffy scolded as he continued to engage the whale as his ship was swallowed. His crew just looked at him with dead-pan stares as they watched him pick a fight with a monster whale.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The girls were standing on the deck of the ship and took in the scene before them with a blank look in their eyes.

There were many strange things they bore witness to ever since they decided to follow their captain. This though…was something that they were failing to fully comprehend.

"Hey…we were clearly swallowed by a whale…right?" Bisca sceptically asked as her eyes stared vacantly ahead.

"I'm pretty sure we were." Reiju answered, a hint of doubt in her voice making it sound like a question rather that an answering statement. She was just as confused as Bisca.

Kuina was busy massaging her temples…hoping to fight off the headache that she could feel approaching.

Shizuku, for some reason, was coolly eating a banana. Nobody knew where she got it from and they were too afraid of the answer to ask.

"Okay…if we were eaten by a whale…then why does this look like THE FUCKING OUTSIDE!" Bisca screamed.

They were currently floating in an ocean that was slightly green in colour. The sky was blue and there were a few birds in the sky. The sun seemed to be happily shining down upon them. There was even a small island not too far from their position. It had a small cottage complete with a tasteful palm tree and reclining beach chair.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation to this." Reiju stated, having seemingly gotten over the bizarreness of their situation.

"Paint." Shizuku noted after finishing her banana. She was pointing to the sky.

The others followed her gaze and noticed that the birds weren't moving. They were frozen in place. As were the clouds. If one looked closely enough, you could see the paint chipping off to reveal some sort of metallic surface.

"Huh…what do you know…"Bisca muttered while scratching her head in confusion.

"So operating under the assumption that we really were swallowed by a whale…The inside of said whale was painted to look like an island paradise…" Kuina said slowly...as if trying to fully comprehend what she was saying. Even she was having trouble grasping the reasons for such a strange place.

"We haven't even fully entered the Grand Line and we're already confronted with all sorts of crazy." Reiju tossed out her comment.

Their discussion was interrupted by the water in front of them exploding upwards as a giant squid emerged. Kuina immediately drew her sword and Bisca primed her rifle…but it was unneeded as three large harpoons emerged from the inside the house at high velocity and pierced the head of the squid. Killing it instantly.

There was absolute silence for the moment.

The crew tensed themselves in anticipation. They clearly weren't alone in here.

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly as a large silhouette could be seen at the entrance of the door.

The person stepped out to reveal the strangest looking man any of them has ever seen. He was tall with a large frame and appeared to be and older man. He was dressed in a pink tropical shirt, blue shorts and plain wooden sandals. He was bald at the top of his head with a flower shaped crescent growing around the top of his head. He had a long goatee and round spectacles.

The man paused at the entrance of his home and looked intensely at the Blood Moon Pirates. He didn't blink as he turned and walked to the side, never once taking his gaze off them. Tension started to rise rapidly as only the sound of the man's footsteps could be heard. The girls were all tensed and ready to spring into action. They wondered what kind of action the man was going to take.

Which is why they couldn't be faulted for face-planting on the deck when the man casually sat in his reclining chair and flipped open his newspaper.

"SAY SOMETHING, YOU ASSHOLE!" Bisca comically shouted at him with shark-teeth. The man paused for a second before his intense gaze locked on them once again. "We have a cannon primed here if you want to fight old man." She threatened.

The man gaze only intensified further upon hearing that. The tension rose once again as his eyes drilled into them with even more ferocity as the seconds ticked by. Everyone was frozen in pace...unsure of what to do.

"Don't. Or someone will die." The gruff voice of the man sounded out in an ominous tone.

The girls were immediately on guard at the veiled threat in his words as the atmosphere were putting them even more on edge.

"And who with that be?" Reiju dryly questioned.

"Me." The man answered quickly.

"YOU?!" Reiju uncharacteristically shouted with shark-teeth. This old guy was really starting to get on her nerves.

Kuina put a hand to her shoulder.

"Calm down. Reiju. There's no need to lose your cool." Kuina advised, causing the cook to take a deep breath and centre herself before adopting her usual look of cold indifference. Her eyes though, spoke of serious bodily harm for the old man. Kuina stepped to the front of the ship and addressed the strange man. "Oji-sama, could you please tell us where we are? And perhaps who you are?" She asked politely.

The man's eyes once again intensified before penetrating them. The atmosphere became uncomfortable as the man's glare was raising the pressure around them. He finally spoke after about a minute of the stare down.

"If you want something from someone, it's proper manners to introduce yourself first." The man advised sternly.

Kuina flushed a little in embarrassment at her lack of proper manners and proceeded to hastily apologise.

"Forgive my rudeness. My name is Kimish-"

That was as far as Kuina got before she was cut off.

"I am Crocus. I am the keeper of the Twin Capes Lighthouse. I am 71 years old, Gemini. Blood type AB."

All emotion melted of Kuina's face before she slowly started to slowly unsheathe her Wadou which glinted dangerously in the artificial light.

Bisca hurriedly held onto Kuina's hand, preventing her from drawing and trying to calm her down. Kuina's eyes though were emitting an impressive intent to kill as she looked at Crocus.

"You want to know where you are. You come to my one-man resort…and then you yell such rude things at me. Do you think you're inside a rat's stomach?" He questioned.

That just confirmed to them that they were indeed inside the stomach of the whale.

"So that would mean that this isn't really sea water…but rather stomach acid. Gross…I don't want to be digested." Bisca remarked as she pulled a sour face.

The eyes of Crocus once again increased in intensity as he drilled them with his stare. The minutes ticked by before the girls became fed up with him.

"STOP DOING THAT!" Bisca and Reiju shouted at him. Kuina's killing intent just rose even further and Shizuku was ignoring absolutely everybody as she lounged in her favourite chair.

"Can't you appreciate a good running gag?" Crocus queried

"A GAG?!"

"As for the exit, it's over there." Crocus informed as he pointed to a wrought iron door behind them.

The girls turned robotically to where he was pointing before looking blankly at the door. They stared for a few minutes. There was absolute silence.

"I never thought I would ever ask this question in my life but…why is there a door inside the stomach of a whale?" Reiju asked in a flat tone of voice.

"The better question is why is there a sky with seagulls and clouds painted on the inside of a whale." Bisca remarked rhetorically with an equally flat tone.

"I like having fun." Crocus unexpectedly answered.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Bisca shouted with shark teeth, once again losing her cool at the infuriating old man.

"It's okay, just leave him alone." Reiju advised, having grown tired of the old man's annoying personality.

"Shizuku, the exit is over there. Let's get out of here before I paint the walls with this old man's blood." Kuina ordered. Bisca and Reiju sweat-dropped at her. They had absolutely no doubt that she was 100 percent serious about killing the guy.

Shizuku nodded and got off her seat to carry out the order before the ground (stomach?) started to tremble. The stomach acid started churning violently.

"He's started again." Crocus commented.

The girls looked back at him to see the true nature of his little island. That it was in fact a ship, with iron coating the bottom.

The girls knew they needed to get out of there quick as the stomach acid of the whale will slowly start eating away at their ship.

"What exactly has he started?" Bisca questioned curiously.

"This whale…Laboon has started ramming himself against the Red Line."

While a little shocked, the girls thought back to the numerous scars they spotted on the head of the whale. They concluded that he was probably in a lot of pain. They didn't want to stay any longer than they needed to though and made to move their ship towards the exit before it dissolved.

Just as they were trying to navigate the turbulent stomach acid…a trap door just above the exit slammed open before two people, who looked like they were booted through the air, came flying out. They were followed languidly by Luffy, who was using **Geppou** to keep afloat in the 'sky'. He dashed over to the two interlopers before grabbing them by the scruffs of their neck and moved towards his ship. He silently touched down on the deck, dropping his baggage like a sack of potatoes.

The girls were visibly relieved to see their captain again. They could now get out of here without having to worry about finding him. They were never once concerned about his well-being as they had full confidence that nothing could stand in his way.

"Those two scoundrels again." Crocus was upset when he spotted the two weirdo's that Luffy dropped off. He put that out of his mind though as he hurriedly made his way through the same door that they came through to carry out his duty.

After a few minutes, the whale seemed to have calmed down.

"So…who are these people boss?" Bisca queried.

"Weirdo's" Shizuku blankly commented.

"Shishishi…There was a hatch at the top of this whale so I entered it. It turns out that the inside is a bit of an elaborate maze of corridors. I found these two bozo's skulking around carrying two cannons with them." Luffy replied.

They were both flamboyantly dressed, with the man having blonde hair and a crown on his head. The girl had blue hair that was done up in a high ponytail and was dressed like a dancer.

"Mr.9, these are pirates." The girl whispered loudly to her companion.

Kuina suddenly perked up at her remark.

"I can see that, Miss Wednesday." Mr 9 replied to her as he looked at the faces surrounding them. "But I think that we can convince them…Probably…"

"Are you two scoundrels still here?!" Crocus roared out. "Don't make me repeat myself! As long as I'm alive, you won't lay a finger on Laboon!

The girl, Miss Wednesday suddenly stared to giggle before the both of them got up and primed their cannons.

"You may say that, but we cannot retreat." She said.

"Killing this whale is our mission." Mr 9 backed her up. "We won't let you interfere in our whaling anymore! We'll rip a hole in its stomach. Let 'er rip, baby!"

"Roger!" Shouted Miss Wednesday.

They didn't get any further though as they were comically bonked on the top of their heads with a rubber mallet by Shizuku. They both crumpled to the ground, out cold.

"Naughty." She scolded expressionlessly.

"Where did she get that mallet?!" Bisca hurriedly questioned Reiju in a whisper.

"Don't question it. The answer is probably best left unsaid." The cook replied tiredly.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The Blood Moon Pirates were in the outside once again, where Crocus, who was immensely thankful for them protecting Laboon, proceeded to explain that the two victims of Shizuku's tender mercies were residents of a nearby town and were on the hunt for the large stores of whale meat they could get from Laboon which could feed their town for a few years.

Crocus then explained the sad tale of Laboon, the island whale from West Blue. He told them of the jolly pirate crew the Laboon followed into the Grand Line and of how he thought of them as Nakama. He also told them of his promise to look after Laboon for about 3 years while they sail around the world. Unfortunately, that was 50 years ago and the pirates still haven't returned. He explained that he was a doctor and was using his expertise to take care of Laboon from the inside.

It was a sad tale for the Blood Moon Pirates, to hear of the struggles of the whale and his desire to see his friends again. So much so that he would harm himself in attempt to break through the Red Line.

Luffy though, had his eyes shadowed as he walked to the edge of the cape, directly in front of the wailing Laboon. His crew and Crocus watched him curiously before widening their eyes in shock as he delivered a solid punch to Laboon's head, right on his freshly opened scars.

Laboon howled in pain before attempting to bash Luffy with his head. Luffy jumped back before attacking again. This time when Laboon attacked, Luffy took it head on and flew back into the wall with impressive force. This back and forth continued for a while under the bewildered eyes of the spectators before Luffy raised his hand.

"Stop!" Laboon stopped, mid-attack at Luffy's command. "It's a draw!" He stated, before smirking challengingly at Laboon. "I'm pretty strong, aren't I?" He said. "You want to beat me, don't you?" Luffy questioned. "Our battle isn't over. So we're going to have to fight again someday. Your nakama may be dead, but from now on I'm your rival! We'll fight again someday to decide which of us is the strongest! Once we're finished sailing the Grand Line, I'll be back! Then we'll finish our fight!" Luffy finished with a smile as Laboon started to tear up before howling happily to the sky, agreeing to Luffy's promise.

His crew just watched on with warm expressions. They would never doubt their captain, but he seemed to find more and more ways to endear himself to them. From his strength, to his charisma and now his compassion. It made them all the more grateful that they met and decided to follow him. They knew he would be somebody great in the world. They would do everything in their power to make it so.

Crocus watched on with a happy smile at seeing Laboon finally connecting with someone else and hopefully putting his trauma behind him.

Luffy chuckled at Laboon's happy expression before asking Shizuku to bring him the paint supplies.

The rest of the crew were chatting amiably with Crocus as Luffy got to work. It took about half an hour before he was done. He proudly displayed his crudely drawn Jolly Roger on Laboons head.

"Okay Laboon. You can't go ramming your head into the Red Line anymore or else the mark will be erased. That mark is a symbol of our promise." Luffy said which got a happy wail from Laboon.

After finally settling in, they were faced with another problem when Shizuku held up her compass, which was rotating wildly, to Luffy.

"Broken." She said.

"Oh! Don't worry about that Shizuku-chan, I've got just the thing." Luffy stated before running back into the ship.

While he was gone, Crocus explained the chaotic nature of the magnetic fields in the Grand Line and how a regular compass would be absolutely useless.

Luffy came back out holding a wrist bracelet that had a small globe in the centre with a directional needle suspended in the middle.

"This is a Log Pose." Luffy presented the device to Shizuku.

"It's a unique compass that memorises a magnetic field." Crocus supplemented. "Without a Log Pose, sailing the Grand Line is impossible. The islands here obey the rules created by magnetic fields. In order to travel from island to island…The Log Pose must readapt to the magnetic field at each island, and it will point you in the right direction. The truth is that there is no way to determine your exact position on this ocean. You are utterly dependent on the magnetic field memorized by your Log Pose. You must first choose one of the seven magnetic fields emanating from Reverse Mountain. But regardless of which island you choose to start from…Your route will eventually join the others into one final route. And the name of the island on the end of that route is…Raftel. The final island of the Grand Line. Only one man has ever set foot on that island."

The crew was silent after the little lesson that Crocus gave them. It certainly was an educational experience for them after the relative normality of East Blue. It proved that the dangerous reputation of the Grand Line was well deserved.

"Well, we'll find out what Raftel is like eventually. Maybe we'll come back and tell you about it ossan." Luffy commented with a confident smirk on his face. His crew all perked up and smiled at his confidence, it filled them with energy.

Crocus just looked at Luffy with a nostalgic smile on his face. He remembered another man with an unyielding confidence and willpower to carry out his dreams. Crocus chuckled quietly to himself.

Eventually they left Crocus to his own devices and tended to their ship, making sure it was in sailing condition after she experienced the turbulent nature of Reverse Mountain.

After that was done, Luffy called a meeting after consulting with Kuina. The crew were currently standing around a large round table, that had a large world map drawn on it, in what Luffy dubbed the 'War Room'.

It was a room that had weapons lining the wall as well as a few bookshelves. The large table in the middle was the centrepiece and could be used to iron out their strategies and plans.

"Baroque Works?" Reiju parroted.

"It's a criminal syndicate. They are a large organisation of mostly bounty hunters who hunt bounties in groups. Their overall goal is still largely unknown." Luffy explained.

"They've been trying to recruit me for a while. I remember being approached by the lower level agents in East Blue. They all have codenames, like Mr 9 for example. That's what made me remember them when those two idiots gave out their names. They're no doubt part of Baroque Works." Kuina stated.

"What would they be doing here at the entrance of the Grand Line, hunting a whale, if they're such a large organisation?" Reiju pondered.

"Perhaps that's part of the scam. The Reverse Mountain is the entrance to the Grand Line from all of the Blue's. What better way to hunt a bounty them to take them out as soon as they enter the Grand Line, when they're still disorientated from the trip." Bisca suggested.

"That a thought provoking suggestion Bisca, but I think we might be overthinking things. Those two are beyond weak. Buggy was the lowest bounty we turned over and he would have flattened those two in seconds. I think that they're just really incompetent." Luffy dead-panned getting sweat-drops from the girls. "Normally I would just kill them, but something about the girls is a bit strange."

"How so?" Kuina curiously inquired.

"Hmmm…how can I put this…She doesn't really feel evil. She's a walking contradiction of emotions. I don't doubt that she is up to something, it's not anything malicious against us though. Underneath that airheaded exterior of hers, I can feel a strong resolve. I say we just let them go and see what happens. I'm actually curious about them." Luffy said.

Kuina and Shizuku nodded in acceptance, as did Reiju. Bisca on the other hand wasn't so ready to throw in the towel. Not for reasons thought though.

"Okay…are we just going to ignore the fact that our captain just spoke about 'feeling' people like it was an everyday occurrence?" Bisca remarked, getting half-lidded stares in response. The reaction of the crew just caused her to sigh in resigned acceptance. Having realised that questioning the crazy things her captain seems capable off…is an act in futility. She smiled though, as she wouldn't change it for anything.

"Shishishi…don't worry Bisca. Once we hit the seas, I'll explain what I meant by that. It's something important and I want us to have absolute privacy." Luffy stated. His crew nodded in acceptance at their captain's words.

After finishing their meeting, they each went about preparing themselves and their ship for their voyage. They cut the two Baroques Works agents loose, and they promptly jumped into the ocean to get as far away from the Blood Moon Pirates as possible. Luffy just sweat-dropped at their antics, wondering if they had a boat nearby, before going about his business. After about two hours of preparation, they were ready to set off.

They were all standing on the deck of their boat, facing the Twin Capes where Crocus stood.

"Thank you for all your help Crocus-san." Reiju expressed her gratitude, which was mirrored by Bisca. Shizuku just stared blankly at him.

Kuina on the other hand, still hasn't forgiven him for his earlier antics and was glaring at him with her sword partially unsheathed. Crocus felt a nervous bead of sweat roll down his face at the murderous intent that was visible in her eyes.

"See you later ossan. The next time you see us…we will be the first crew since the Roger Pirates that travelled the entire Grand Line." Luffy stated matter-of-factly. Crocus smiled at the boy's confidence. "Laboon! Make sure not to mess up that mark. I'll see you soon! The next time we fight…I will be the Pirate King!" Luffy shouted to the large whale who howled in happiness at his remark. Luffy smiled at his new friend. "Okay crew! We're about to take our first step into the Grand Line…Shishishi…it's time we left our mark on this world. We are the children of chaos, the seeds of anarchy…We are the Blood Moon Pirates! Now let's turn this world on its head!" Luffy ordered while pumping his fist in the air enthusiastically, getting loud cheers from his crew along with excited smirks.

They were ready to take on whatever came their way.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It's been a crazy few hours for the Blood Moon Pirates since they left the Twin Capes. They were introduced first hand to the unpredictable nature of the Grand Line as their ship was rotated 180 degrees from its original position and they encountered snow, rain, and sunshine in the space of a few minutes.

Shizuku learned quickly that she needed to keep her eye on the ball if they were to stay on course. A few minutes of inattention could mean they were knocked completely off course. Even though her expression was usually blank with no hint of emotion, if one looked close enough, like Luffy did, you could see her body twitch in annoyance at these strange occurrences.

The conditions settled down though, for the most part, in the last hour and they were sailing comfortably. Luffy decided it was a good a time as any to explain things to his crew so he called for a meeting in the War Room.

They were all assembled and looking eagerly at their captain who was standing in front of them. Shizuku was attentive to her captain, but she also kept a sharp eye on their surroundings to spot any changes in the atmosphere.

"Okay, what I'm about to explain to you will be something very important for the latter half of our journey. It isn't really a must for the first half of the Grand Line, but this ability is something that is necessary to survive the second half of the Grand Line. I want us to get started on it immediately. It will put as ahead of other pirate crews and boost our abilities even further." Luffy started explaining, getting the full attention of his crew. "The ability I'm referring to is called…Haki."

"Haki?" Kuina parroted.

"Haki is a mysterious power that dwells within everyone in the world. Presence. Fighting Spirit. Control. It is no different from the other senses normal humans have. But average humans don't even notice this power, or they may try to develop it their whole lives without success." Luffy clarified. The girls were all paying rapt attention to his words. Although, they did sweat-drop at the fact that he seemed to have put on a pair of spectacles and had a pointer in his hand that he was using to point to the words on a blackboard, that wasn't there when they came into the room, behind him. They decided that they were better off not knowing. "Removing all doubt. That is strength" He finished. The girls looked thoughtful at those words. They were skilled fighters themselves and could therefore appreciate the wisdom behind those words. "Haki is typically divided into 2 shades. The power to be sensitive to your opponent's presence. This is Kenbunshoku no Haki (Color of Perception). Everything on this planet, from humans, animals, trees, plants and even certain inanimate objects, emits a 'voice'. Being sensitive to this voice is the basis of Kenbunshoku Haki. If mastered, this power can give you the ability to discern both the location and the number of enemies outside your field of vision. By hearing the 'voice' of your surroundings and reading the auras, one can judge the strength and even the intentions of people. Similar to what I did earlier with those two agents. It even allows you to predict what the enemy will do in the next moment if used correctly. By listening for your opponents 'voice', you would be able to anticipate their attack and evade. Of course, you have to be fast enough to react to the information you receive." The girls were looking visibly impressed and were almost vibrating with excitement at the prospect of wielding such an amazing ability, even the usually subdued Shizuku. "I would demonstrate this ability, but I don't really need to as you've already seen me do it." Luffy prompted, causing Reiju to perk up in remembrance.

"The training session we had after we got the new ship. You sat blindfolded on the ground and had Shizuku swing a wooden sword at you from behind." Reiju answered with wide eyes. Comprehension dawned on the faces of the other girls.

"Very good Rei!" Luffy praised, causing the girl to sit up a little straighter and have a gleam of pride in her eyes. The other girls looked a little annoyed that she was praised, but decided not to say anything…for now. "That's right! That was one of the most basic applications of Kenbunshoku Haki. There are more of course, but we will leave that up until you actually awaken it. The group training I've been having you do every day is the most straightforward way for one to awaken their Haki. Kenbunshoku is the easiest form of Haki to awaken, as such, it will be the one we will try to focus on. Of course, you shouldn't be disheartened if you don't awaken it for a long time. It's not an easy power to unlock. It took me about two years to awaken mine, but I was much younger. You girls are a lot stronger and more prepared than I was back then. Of course, there are instances where it could awaken in moments of great stress or even in battle. So don't give up and keep up training every day." Luffy explained before finishing with a firm order that had the girls nodding in acceptance. "Next up is Busoshoku no Haki (Color of Arms). This is also a very important skill and something that will become a necessity later on. The way it works, as best as I can explain, is like putting on a coat of 'armor' around a selected part of your body, depending on your skill with it, to increase your attack or defense. Stronger 'armor' will obviously means stronger offence/defence. With enough training, it allows you to imbue weapons like swords or projectiles to strengthen attack power." That really got the attention of all the girls, as they visibly perked up. The prospect of stronger attacks and dealing greater damage intrigued them. Even Shizuku was almost salivating at the thought of causing more damage. Luffy sweat-dropped at the violent personalities of his crew. "One of the most important applications of Busoshoku Haki, is its ability to bypass Devil Fruit defences. Like we saw with Smoker in Loguetown, certain Devil Fruits make the user invulnerable to physical attacks. Logia class Devil Fruits are especially relevant in this case. Unless you have a Kairōseki weapon, or know the individual weakness of the fruit…The only way to hurt a user of a Logia Devil Fruit, like myself, is through the use of Busoshoku Haki." Luffy explained.

He removed his coat and slipped off his gloves. That got a few raised eyebrows as he was completely topless in front of them. Reiju wasn't even shy about it and was shamelessly ogling his body. Bisca was giggling perversely to herself as she eyed his rock hard abs. Kuina had a deep blush on her face as she tried to avert her eyes, but couldn't resist the temptation to look out of the corner of her eyes. Shizuku had no visible reaction whatsoever. At least that's what they thought. If one looked close enough, they would see a light dusting of pink on her cheeks as well as the strange gleam that came to her eyes as she started unflinchingly at her captain's body.

Luffy noticed their strange reactions and had a question mark over his head. He wondered whether they were all a little under the weather, but decided to chalk it down to one of his crew's many quirks.

The girls sweat-dropped at his clueless expression. It was endearing in its own way though, as their powerful captain showed that he wasn't as flawless as they seemed to think.

Luffy held out his arm, and four sets of eyes watched in interest as it visibly blackened.

"Armament. The more practical application of Busoshoku Haki that explained about earlier. You can increase attack and defence of your body and weapons with this." Luffy explained before putting his clothes back on, much to the disappointment of the girls who were enjoying the eye candy. "Kenbunshoku, Busoshoku. These are 2 types of Haki. However, a select few people in the world can utilize another kind of Haki. The power to control your opponent, Haoshoku no Haki (Color of the Conqueror). Many people who have made a name for themselves in this world...possess this power hidden within them. However while the Color of the Conqueror can be controlled, it cannot be trained. It is the very spirit of the user. The only way to strengthen it is to strengthen one's own mental strength. In terms of application, a proficient user of this ability could overpower the will of those weaker and effectively knock them out. It is especially useful when dealing with fodder you want to knock out quickly. It isn't unheard of for entire armies to fall in the face of this power. The stronger your will, the less this type of Haki will affect you. It is said that only one in a million people are born with this power."

The crew were awestruck that a power so fearsome actually existed in this world. Suddenly, Kuina's eyes widened in recognition.

"Back in Shells Town, at Morgan's base. He ordered his soldiers to kill themselves. When it looked like they were about to carry out the order…you looked at them and this wave of power spread out. I can remember feeling it on my skin. It was overwhelming. In the next moment, all those soldiers fell to the ground…unconscious." Kuina whispered to herself, but it was loud and clear to the rest in the room. She looked up from her contemplation with a look of reverence at her captain.

"That's right. That was Haoshoku Haki. I am what those in the second half of the Grand Line would call an awakened Conqueror." Luffy answered. The rest of his crew caught up quickly and directed looks of awe and admiration at him. He honestly was getting a little embarrassed at the attention they were paying him, if the bashful expression on his face was anything to go by. This just reaffirmed to the girls that they definitely made the right choice in following their captain. "Who knows? One of you may possess the ability as well." He suggested. "Anyway, that's all I had to say about that. Keep up your training and of course, I will be joining in as well from now on. It never hurts to keep up your training." Luffy finished, before dismissing the girls who went about their own business. Different thoughts plaguing their minds about the information that they just received.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

"Land ho!" Bisca shouted from the crow's nest as the silhouette of an island became visible.

"Shizuku. What island is this?" Luffy questioned his navigator.

"Whiskey Peak." She answered.

It was a strange looking island that looked to be one large grouping of cacti.

Luffy picked up just over a hundred different signatures on the island. They were all relatively strong. Not enough to pose a threat to any one of his crew members, but definitely stronger than the average civilian. They also seemed to be hiding some malicious intentions towards his crew.

Luffy forwarded his findings to his crew who all made a note to remain vigilant of their surroundings.

As the mist cleared, and they pulled up into the bay. Loud cheers could be heard. The scene they witnessed was of a large number of people hugging the coastline, cheering their arrival. Fireworks were going off in the background and posters were waving in their direction. These people were strangely exuberant to be welcoming pirates. The strange behaviour along with their captain's warnings immediately put the girls on edge. They did well to hide it though. There was no reason to show their hand early. Luffy just smirked in anticipation.

Once they disembarked, they were met by a large blonde man with a strangely layered and curled hair-do.

"Welco- Mah-mah-maaah~! Welcome. My name is Igarappoi. I am the mayor of Whiskey Peak. This is the town of spirit brewing and lively music, Whiskey Peak! We take pride in our hospitality. We have an entire ocean of spirits for your enjoyment. Would you care to join us in celebration and share stories of your adventures? We would be- Mah-mah-maaah~! We would be delighted to hear them." The mayor, Igarappoi said with a welcoming smile.

Luffy's mind immediately put the pieces together concerning what was really happening here. It was made even more apparent when he spotted Mr 9 and Miss Wednesday in the faces among the crowd. He looked to his crew and realised that they too figured the ploy of these people. Luffy signalled them with his eyes, telling them to go along with it. He had a mischievous smirk on his face, one that had his crew bubbling with excitement, knowing that their captain was the best at causing chaos.

Luffy graciously accepted the invitation of Igarappoi, much to the cheers of the 'citizens'.

What followed was what can be described as a party of the ages. There was music and dancing. The citizens of Whiskey Peak went out of their way to create a party atmosphere for the Blood Moon Pirates, who partied up. Shizuku and Luffy ate enough food to feed a small colony. They didn't even look full as they kept putting more food away, much to the nervousness of the onlookers. Kuina, Reiju and Bisca weren't letting up either. They were joyfully gulping down alcohol by the barrel. They didn't look the least bit inebriated.

Igarappoi, who was watching on with a large framed nun, Mr 9 and Miss Wednesday, could feel a drop of sweat nervously slide down the side of his face. This wasn't how he expected things to go. They would run out of supplies soon. Which was why is came as a relief to him when the pirates slowly passed out one after the other. It should have raised a few flags at how suspicious it seemed, but he was far too relieved to take note of it.

As night fell…the town descended to an eerie silence. There was a hint of danger in the air that would put most people on edge.

"They've finally tired themselves out and fallen asleep." Igarappoi stated as he glanced at the moonlight from outside the building that contained the Blood Moon Pirates.

"Good work Igarappoi. Or should I say Mr 8." Mr 9 said from his perch atop a building opposite Mr 8, with Miss Wednesday right beside him.

Mr 9 and Miss Wednesday were quick to get back to Whiskey Peak after being cut loose by Luffy and wasted no time in telling the rest of the incoming pirates.

"What of them?" Miss Wednesday asked.

"They have fallen." Mr 8 replied before turning around and looking at them with a cold expression on his face. "Into Hell, that is."

"Honestly…they were a stubborn bunch." The large framed nun said as she joined the trio. "We had to keep putting more and more sedatives in their food and drink. We wasted a lot of our supplies on just five people. We barely have any food left to last the next few days." She complained as she pulled off her habit, revealing her coarse pink hair that was pulled into two small ponytails along with her muscular frame. "Still, was it really necessary to put on that drama? For five measly kids? We should have finished them off at the harbour. Even without them ploughing through our supplies, we had a food shortage to worry about." She questioned Mr 8 before pointing to Mr 9 and Miss Wednesday. "Especially since these two can't seem to deal with a single old man to bring back that whale meat."

"You don't have to say it like that!" Mr 9 sputtered indignantly.

"Compose yourselves!" Mr 8 ordered. "Look at this. I've been doing some research on them." He said before revealing the five bounty posters of the Blood Moon Pirates.

"WHAT?!" His 3 companions yelled in shock when they saw the bounties.

"Those five kids?!" The former 'nun' shouted rhetorically.

"Those 5 kids just entered the Grand Line. We were there. How the hell did they rake up such high bounties already?!" Mr 9 screamed in confusions.

"It is foolish to judge a pirates abilities by their appearance alone, Miss Mon- Mah-mah-maaah~! Miss Monday. Whoever those five are…the World Government has seen fit to mark them with exceptionally high starting bounties. They are clearly some kind of threat as it normally takes a while for rookies to get that high. The total amount is 219 million beli for the entire crew. It is unprecedented." Mr 8 lectured.

"I-I'm ashamed." The 'nun', Miss Monday muttered embarrassedly.

"But now that they've been disposed of, we can make a favourable report to the boss. We'll take all the valuables off their boat immediately. That, along with the money we get from their bounties will win us a lot of goodwill from the boss." Mr 8 said.

"And what about them? What will we do?" Miss Monday asked.

"If we kill them, we lose 30 percent of the bounty. The World Government enjoys its public executions after all." Mr 8 answered. "We need to keep them drugged and harmless until we turn them over."

The trio of agents were about to carry out the order…when a bone chilling tingle ran down their spines. The atmosphere around them seemed to switch in an instant. There was a subtle edge of killing intent flooding the air. If that wasn't enough…the hairs on the back of their neck stood on end as a voice, that was both melodic and at the same time as unyielding as steel, whispered through the wind.

"Hey...Sorry to interrupt you little conference…But I'd appreciate it if you kept your hands off our ship. It would be a real chore to have to wash off all that blood if you we have to dispose of you ingrates." Kuina advised in a deceptively calm tone as Wadou Ichimonji glinted dangerously in the moonlight from her perch at the top of a building.

The four agents were frozen in shock at the appearance of the swordswoman. Their eyes were bulging and their backs were stiff at the dangerous look that was in her eye.

"Miss Monday, Mr 8…They…escap-" One of the grunts stumbled out, a long slash going down his body which was leaking a lot of blood, before he was cut off with his head flying off his shoulders from a powerful kick. The head, which was frozen in an expression of horror, slowly rolled to the feet of the four agents…who felt an intense amount of fear at what was happening.

Reiju was calmly leaning against the building that Kuina was perched on. They look to the side to see Shizuku, with a large plate that was filled with meat, calmly sitting and eating. What was disconcerting about the scene was the blood that was on her clothes. They didn't see any sign of Bisca, but the sound of a gunshot echoed through the air…coming from the direction of the ship. Finally, Luffy was sitting on the ledge of a building with his legs dangling off, watching proceedings with an amused smile on his face.

"Wha?!" Mr 8 exclaimed in shock and terror. This wasn't how their plan was supposed to play out. "You all should have been completely unconscious!" He shouted hysterically. The four of them were soon joined by the rest of the bounty hunters in opposition of their new foes. None of them looked to have much confidence though.

"Hmph, no true swordswoman, no matter the circumstances, would allow herself to be overwhelmed by alcohol." Kuina replied.

"As a poison expert, I can honestly say I'm a little insulted by your paltry effort to drug us." Reiju commented.

The fearful agents looked to Shizuku, wondering how she overcame their attempts. She stopped eating for a minute, before staring blankly at them.

"Badass." She stated, causing them to face-fault.

"Shishishi…you certainly are Shizuku." Luffy praised jovially. "But man, you guys sure do suck at what you do. I honestly almost fell asleep waiting for you guys to make me fall asleep…if that makes any sense." Luffy mocked. "Oh! And if you're wondering where Bisca is…she's currently perched on the crow's nest of my ship…sniping any targets that have the balls to get close to my vessel."

"But this is quite the nest of bounty hunters here senchō. It seems as though they deceive marry pirates just as they enter the Grand Line…then take them for all their worth." Kuina remarked. "It would be impressive…if there weren't more than a 100 bounty hunters here…clearly showing quantity over quality. They probably overwhelm their opponents with numbers. It's a bit of a sloppy operation if you ask me. But then again…you can't expect much else from a third rate criminal organisation. Isn't that right…Baroque Works?"

The agents tensed up even more at that comment. They didn't understand what was happening. They had done this numerous times before. The result was always the same. This time it was only a crew of five. The smallest number yet. It should have been a walk in the park. So why did it feel like they were the ones being hunted.

"H-How...do you know that name?!" Mr 8 stuttered out.

"Hmph…back when I was still in this line of work, your organisation sent a scout to try and recruit me. Of course we had a difference of opinions. I refused to join a silly little organisation like this one and he was in too many different pieces to give a coherent answer." Kuina replied with a chilling smile. Luffy had to stop himself from chuckling out loud when he saw how much fun his first mate was having. She really was great at being a villain. Oh well…he wasn't any better in that regard so it was a bit of a match made in heaven. Come to think of it…the rest of his crew also seems to have a natural predisposition to being bad guys…something to ponder on later. "The members know nothing about each other, and call each other by code names. And of course, the boss' identity and location are a mystery even to the members. An organisation that…pfft…faithfully carries out its orders. Baroque Works. Was it supposed to be some kind of secret? Honestly, we made you guys the moment Bevis and Butthead over there let their codenames slip, about three seconds after meeting us." Kuina taunted as she pointed towards Mr 9 and Miss Wednesday, who were both trembling at the glares they were receiving from the rest of the bounty hunters.

"Since you know our little secret…we have no choice but to eliminate you." Mr 8 threatened with false bravado.

There was absolute silence for a moment. The bounty hunters assumed that the Blood Moon Pirates were now fearful of their situation since they could finally comprehend it. But they were proven dead wrong the next moment as the silence was broken.

"Pffft…HAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy roared out in laughter, slapping the roof as he tried to control himself.

It didn't help that Reiju and Kuina were also struggling with their laughter as they joined in their captain's amusement. Even the normally indifferent Shizuku was letting out dry chuckles at their expense. It may have been their imagination…but they could have sworn they heard the high pitched laughter of a woman coming from the bay.

The bounty hunters could feel their faces heat up with embarrassment. This was one of the most humiliating experiences of their lives. The same prey they were supposed to be hunting…were standing before them wholly unconcerned and had the nerve to laugh in their faces.

They were about to charge with their weapons…when the laughter abruptly stopped. There was silence as the four pirates lost the mirth from their faces and stared coldly at them.

Just as Mr 8 was about to address the rest of the bounty hunters in the hopes of boosting morale and eliminating the increasingly dangerous threat before them…he tensed as his body was wracked with fear.

The air was suddenly flooded with an overwhelming killing intent. The eyes of the four pirates were razor sharp. The atmosphere was thick with an intense bloodlust…so much so that the bounty hunters could almost taste the blood in the air. Many of them were seeing visions of their deaths…from decapitation to brutal evisceration at the hands of these bloodthirsty pirates. Some of the weaker bounty hunters couldn't handle the situation and plunged their blades into their hearts…deciding that it was a more merciful death than what their supposed prey would afford them…they were right. Their fellow bounty hunters didn't even bat an eyelash at the numerous suicides happening right beside them. Not out of apathy…but because they were too frozen in fear to react.

The four numbered agents were feeling the consequences of their actions catching up to them fast. It was too late for them to have realised that they may have bitten off more than they could chew.

As the tension reached its height. Luffy spoke calmly to his crew.

"Go wild." He ordered simply, much to the joy of his girls.

Those two words cut through the bounty hunters like a death sentence. The bloodthirsty grins in the faces of Kuina and Reiju as well as the sadistic gleam in Shizuku's eyes spelt nothing but pain for them.

Kuina jumped off the building she was perched on…landing right in the centre of a group of bounty hunters.

Reiju pushed off the wall she was leaning against and walked a few metres before coming to a stop in front of another group of bounty hunters.

Shizuku didn't move from her spot and went back to enjoying her feast.

Luffy sat on his perch, a drink in hand as he eagerly looked on. Excited to see the show his girls were going to put on.

The bounty hunters were trembling in their presence. Some portion of their brain, a really small one, was screaming at them that they were in the presence of greater predators. They ignored it though. The natural fight or flight instincts of their species were flaring powerfully. Common sense would dictate that they tuck their tails between their legs and run. But fear and pride were warring inside them, overriding their common sense. In the end, their small minded pride won out and they rushed to their deaths.

"Well…" Kuina started, grinning maliciously at her prey, her sword gripped delicately in her palm. "Let's get this show in the road."

 **[Soundtrack: Saliva – Click Click Boom]**

In a flash, the bounty hunter in the front of the line was bisected in half. It only took a fraction of a second. All they managed to perceive was a glint of metal before two halves of their comrade dropped to the floor with his blood spraying all over them. They froze in shock at the brutal scene. Unfortunately for them, a few seconds of gawking was all that their opponent needed to punish them.

Wadou Ichimonji sung beautifully through the air as Kuina slashed at the defenceless bounty hunters. It was like she was performing a beautiful dance, Beautiful, but deadly. She move gracefully around the incoming bounty hunters, cutting them down like common cattle. Heads were sent flying, limbs were lopped off, and men were disembowelled. Blood was raining down from Kuina's ruthless dance. Her opponents realised too late just how far out of their depth they were. There were thoughts of running…unfortunately for them, Kuina wasn't in a forgiving mood. The scent of blood hung thickly in the air and she locked onto it, like a bloodhound. She would hunt her prey and put them down like the animals they were to her. She was swift and vicious in her swordplay. Her sharp, cold blue eyes were penetrating the very souls of the men surrounding her. It was the last sight they saw before suffering a horrific and painful death.

Reiju was having a ball with the group she had taken. Her quick feet and powerful legs were far too much for the run of the mill bounty hunters. Her concussive kicks caved in chests and tore off a few heads with their ferocity. Screams of pain and anguish were ringing out through the air from the air from the ruthless punishment Reiju was inflicting upon them. If her monstrous kicks weren't enough, she showed them why they called her the 'Black Widow', as she wielded two small poison tipped daggers in her hand…occasionally slipping it between people ribs before kicking them away, letting her fast acting poison eat away at them. Tears were flowing down the eyes of the onrushing hunters as they realised that there was no escape for them. They had picked the wrong side. They had bitten off more than they could chew. The storm of kicks currently tearing them apart was their karmic justice it would seem.

Shizuku didn't immediately attack anyone. She just sat calmly, eating from her large plate. The bounty hunters that were surrounding her, hearing the screams of their comrades, lost all sense of reason and charged her. Shizuku's normally blank eyes sharpened immediately as she swallowed the last piece of meat she from the large bone she was holding before using said bone as a club and bashed the incoming hunters skull in. The sound of his skull cracking and the sight of his brain matter splattering all over the floor would be a sight that would make most people lose their appetites. But Shizuku, while holding her new bone club, grabbed another large piece of meat and started heartily biting into it. The frozen hoard of hunters didn't even get time to vomit from the sick sight as Shizuku descended upon them, crushing skulls and piercing their unprotected bodies with her bone club. She was absolutely relentless in her attack. Her face never once showing a flicker of emotion and her eyes never leaving her delicious looking meal as she brutalized her would be hunters.

For those bounty hunters who were actually coherent enough to recognise the danger they were in and run for the hills, they were unfortunately reminded, for the short time that they were still alive, that there were actually five members to this crew. Holes appeared in the middle of their foreheads as bullets from miles away seared its way through their skulls. Her aim was impeccable and her speed was inescapable. Bounty hunters were dropping like flies as Bisca sniped them with ruthless efficiency. There was no escape.

The four numbered agents could only look on in horror at the scene they were forced the bear witness to. It was pure carnage. Blood ran like a river through the streets and body parts were decorating the surroundings as the Blood Moon Pirates tore through their opposition with brutal efficiency. Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear was what they could feel coursing through their bodies. Miss Wednesday didn't seem to be able to withstand the sight and collapsed to her knees, vomiting.

Mr 8 looked at her in concern before refocusing his gaze at the massacre that was occurring before them. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. It was supposed to be an easy job. Now he was facing his death along with his charge. All their work going down the drain. He had no idea how to escape this hell they were in.

 **[Soundtrack End]**

Silence.

It permeated the air.

It was unnatural. Especially in a town as lively as Whiskey Peak.

The screams of anguish have stopped. The sound of a blade slicing through human flesh couldn't be heard any longer. The sound of heads hitting the pavement abated. Gunshots could no longer be heard ringing through the air.

The quiet was suffocating. The tension still hung in the air like a bad rash.

Mr 9 and Miss Monday were far too hot headed to remain calm under such terrifying circumstances. They rushed towards where most of the carnage had happened. Their common sense being overridden by whatever force was driving them. They didn't get very far though as two blue bolts of lightning homed in on them before electrocuting them to a crisp.

Miss Wednesday was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown at the scene of violence she had just witnessed. Mr 8 wasn't any better as his entire body was trembling with fear.

The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps. The clacking of high heels on the concrete pavement echoed throughout the silent town as Kuina and Reiju leisurely strolled towards their captain. They both took inhuman leaps and landed silently on the roof of the building Luffy was sitting on. They eagerly took a seat next to him as he offered them a drink after their 'hard-work'.

Shizuku was comfortably perched at her table, resuming her feast without care for the dead bodies littering her surroundings.

"Thanks for the free booze, assholes." Luffy taunted playfully from his perch.

The last two agents were quivering in terror. They had no idea what to do in this situation. Mr 8 thought about revealing their identities and begging for mercy. His pride was a small price to pay to save the life of his charge. But he spotted the Unluckies, an otter and vulture pair of 'agents' that reported directly to the boss of Baroque Works. He knew that revealing such information here would end really badly for him. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He didn't know what to do. Unfortunately for him, the decision was taken out of his hand.

"Looks like you guys had a party that was to die for." A playful feminine voice rang out.

"Hmph…to lose to a single pirate crew. Pathetic." A deeper masculine voice scoffed.

When Mr 8 looked towards the voices, he saw a tall man with dark skin and black sunglasses. He was wearing a brown high collared coat with a pink scarf. He had spikey looking dreadlocks on his head. Next to him was a slim looking woman. She wore a short yellow dress that was decorated with lemons along with white high heels on her feet. On her head was a yellow cap over her blonde hair and she carried an open yellow and blue striped umbrella in her hand, which she was twirling around.

"Mr 5! Miss Valentine!" Mr 8 gasped in shock at their appearance. He thought he could salvage something with the appearance of the higher ranking agents here. "Are you here to help us?" He asked hopefully.

"Do you honestly think that we would come all the way to the beginning of the Grand Line just to help you with your simple mission?" Miss Valentine questioned in a mocking tone of voice.

"There are criminals here that merit the Boss dispatching us directly." Mr 5 said, causing Miss Wednesday and Mr 8 to tense up. "The Boss' exact word were: 'Someone knows my secret'. Just what that secret _is_ of course, even I don't know. But our organisations primary directive is secrecy. Therefore we do not tolerate any investigation into the identity of our members. And if someone were to learn of the Boss' secret…Naturally, they would have to be eliminated."

"So, we thoroughly investigated which persons could have found out the Boss' secret. Hahahaha! And what a surprise! We discovered that important members of a certain kingdom had infiltrated Baroque Works." Miss Valentine said.

"The infiltrator is none other than the Kingdom of Alabasta's currently missing Captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard, Igaram. And Princess Nefertari Vivi. By order of the Boss of Baroque Works, you are to be eliminated." Mr 5 declaration rang out like a gunshot in the silence of Whiskey Peak. The newly identified Igaram stood protectively inform of the fearful Princess Vivi, formerly Miss Wednesday.

The two Alabastan's were currently filled with dread. Their cover had been blown. They were now sitting ducks here in this ghost town. There was no escape for them. Even if he wanted to fight, he didn't know if he could hold them off long enough for Vivi to escape. He needed to protect the Princess.

The silence stretched on for a while longer as the agents of Baroque Works stared at the former agents. The silence didn't last though.

"Hoh…Would you look at that girls? Turns out the slutty stripper lookalike is actually a crown Princess." The amused voice of Luffy rang out through the silence, catching the attention of the four Baroque Works agents, both present and former. They had completely forgotten about the Blood Moon Pirates. Which was hard to believe considering the carnage they wrought on the island. Luffy just chalked it up to the bad guys losing all awareness of their surroundings while delivering the standard cheesy villain monologue.

Vivi's face flushed in mortification and Igaram looked indignant at the crude remarks made about the Princess.

"Stay out of the way pirates. This is Baroque Works business. If you insist on sticking your nose in…you will be eliminated." Mr 5 warned threateningly.

"Ara ara…it seems as though we're being threatened by some Saturday Night Fever reject." Reiju mocked. "What ever will we do, Captain?"

Mr 5 had a tick mark on his head at her remark and Luffy snickered to himself.

"Well…we were originally planning on eliminating these Baroque Work bounty hunters…I don't see any reason to stray from that path. The guy with the stupidly curly hair and the slutty princess don't seem to be working for the organisation…so we'll leave them be…for now." Luffy remarked. "Kuina, Reiju…these two newcomers totally killed to mood and ruined our fun. Teach them a lesson." He ordered.

"Fufufu…hai, senchō!" Kuina replied giddily.

"You got it captain." Reiju responded.

They both jumped from the building with Kuina standing before Mr 5 and Reiju standing before Miss Valentine.

"Why?! Why are you helping us?!" Igaram probed furiously, even though he was thankful for the reprieve. His shaking knees gave away the absolute fear he felt when facing Luffy.

Luffy just looked at him indifferently for a moment before smirking.

"What's life without a little whimsy?" He answered casually. Whatever reply Igaram or Vivi might have had was cut off by the confrontation between the four fighters not too far away.

"Hahaha…so you pirates decided to stick your nose in the business of Baroque Works instead of running with your tail between your legs. You obviously aren't that smart." Miss Valentine taunted. Mr 5 beside her was busy picking his nose.

Kuina and Reiju just looked at her with half-lidded eyes…clearly conveying the contempt they felt for her.

Suddenly, both pirates disappeared before Miss Valentines cry was heard as she went sailing through the air courtesy of a vicious roundhouse kick from Reiju.

Mr 5 grunted in pain as he skidded back from the explosion that originated from his original position, a large gash on his chest from having been slashed by Kuina. The explosion engulfed the swordswoman upon making contact with the agent.

"Hmph…physical attacks are useless against someone like me. I can make any part of my body explode. I'm a Bombman. Using the ability of the Bomu Bomu no Mi, I have never failed to complete a mission." Mr 5 explained as he tried to stem the blood from his chest, thinking that he had taken Kuina out with the explosion.

"Hoh? That's interesting. Thanks for explaining your ability to me." Kuina replied with a bland tone as she stared at Mr 5 front her position. The edges of her battle kimono were lightly singed but no overall damage was present.

"Wha?!" He exclaimed in surprise.

 **[Mr 5 Vs Kuina]**

He didn't get to dwell on his surprise for long as Kuina came charging at him. He hastily picked his nose before flinging a booger in her direction.

" **Nose Fancy Cannon!"**

Kuina scrunched her face in disgust before dexterously sidestepping the 'attack' which exploded upon impact with the pavement. Some of the debris hit Kuina in the back, but she ignored the pain and jumped into the air before rotating 360 degrees and slashing at Mr 5, who was trying to pull put another booger but was too late.

" **Moon Flash"**

A diagonal cut, to go along with the horizontal one he already had, opened up on his chest and spurt blood as he cringed in pain. The effect of his Devil Fruit kicked in though as they were both engulfed by an explosion. Kuina had enough wherewithal to swiftly backtrack after her initial cut, mitigating the effects of the explosion on her.

It did open up more distance though and give Mr 5 more room to work with. It was a disadvantage for Kuina to fight an opponent that she couldn't get up close and personal with. She had to stick and move. Being around him for a long stretch of time would be dangerous.

" **Nose Fancy…Triple Cannon!"**

Out of the smoke the explosion kicked up, three more boogers came flying at her. She used her fancy footwork to hastily dodge, barely escaping the radius of the explosions. She could have easily cut them, but there was no way in hell she was going to cut up some guys disgusting nose junk with her beautiful sword.

She was being pushed back, and she didn't like it at all. When the smoke cleared, she got a clear view of Mr 5. He was still struggling a bit from the two slashes she landed on him. She needed to work that into her advantage. This would have been simpler if she had a long range attack in her arsenal…Something to think about later.

She jumped from her position and planted her feet on the wall of an adjacent building. She started running on the wall, parallel to the ground, dodging explosions that were sent her way by her opponent. It was annoying that he seemed to never run out of ammunition. Being a Bombman though, gave him all the ammunition he needed. She also hypothesised that it gave him a certain resistance to physical attacks. Those two times she cut him, those were enough to put most men out of commission, but he seemed to be doing fine for the most part, bar a little discomfort.

Kuina felt grin on her face. These are the kind of opponents she wanted to face. Not the fodder of East Blue.

She kicked off the wall, taking a powerful sideward leap and bringing her sword down in a stabbing motion. Mr 5 was slow to react to Kuina superior speed and was late in getting out of the way. He managed to avoid being impaled in a fatal area, but couldn't stop the sword from piercing his foot. Kuina hastily retracted her sword and back flipped away, just in time for Mr 5 to explode.

His scream of agony was heard through the explosion as he grabbed his bleeding foot and hopped around in a circle, hoping to stem the pain.

Unfortunately for him, Kuina smelt the blood in the water.

She swiftly ran at him, building up a bit of momentum. Wadou Ichimonji held at her side. As she got into range, the surprise of the face of Mr 5 was thrilling for her. He had completely taken his eye off the ball. He tried to pull out what looked like a pistol, but it was too late. She sped past him with surprising velocity, her sword being brought down with purpose as she landed in a crouch.

" **Ittoryu: Daishinkan!"**

Mr 5 chest exploded in a shower of blood. His mouth opened in a silent scream. An explosion engulfed him once again. When the smoke cleared, he was lying face down on the ground, unmoving. His body almost cut in half.

Kuina let out a breath. She took a while to collect herself before straightening up. She flicked the blood of her sword before sheathing it at her side. She silently walked away, her gait elegant and victorious.

 **[Winner: Kuina]**

 **[Miss Valentine Vs Reiju]**

Miss Valentine slowly picked herself out of the building she was sent crashing into. She wasn't feeling too good right now but it seemed as though he opponent was a little trigger happy.

She finally managed to pull herself out as she walked towards her opponent. She came to a stop in front of a sophisticated looking Reiju, whose arms were crossed under her large bust.

Miss Valentine had a tick mark on her forehead at the fact that this bitch was so nonchalant about the fact that she just kicked her into a building.

"Oh? You're back? You're a lot tougher than I gave you credit for." Reiju commented indifferently. The compliment not sounding sincere at all.

Miss Valentine twirled her umbrella in agitation. She wanted to attack, but stayed her hand. Her ability worked best when her enemy came to her.

Reiju, never one to sit back, kicked off the ground and blurred towards her opponent. She unleashed a swift roundhouse kick towards Miss Valentine…only to hit fresh air.

"Hahahaha!" An annoyingly obnoxious laugh came from above. Reiju looked up to see Miss Valentine floating in the air. "How do you like my ability? I ate the Kilo Kilo no Mi. I can change my weight at will." Miss Valentine boasted.

"You know I can see your panties from down here." Reiju dead-panned. Miss Valentine flushed in embarrassment and hastily tried to cover herself up. "Seriously though? Strawberry panties? What are you, five?" Reiju mocked.

Miss Valentine's face flushed with embarrassment and anger.

" **10 000 Kilo Press!"**

She shouted before coming barrelling down from the sky directly at Reiju. The speed of the descent caught the cook off guard and she had to hastily skid away to avoid direct damage. She coughed up a little from the dust that was kicked up before running forward and snapping out a thrust kick towards where Miss Valentine landed. The kick caught the agent in the face as she was climbing out of the hole in the ground she made, causing her to fly back.

Miss Valentine took to the air once again, an angry scowl on her face and a line of blood leaking out of the corner of her mouth.

"I'm going to enjoy crushing the life out of you!" She seethed at Reiju, who just arched an eyebrow at her in amusement.

" **10 000 Kilo Press!"**

Miss Valentine shouted as she came barrelling down from the sky once again.

Reiju skilfully dodged this time, keeping a close eye on Miss Valentine's speed and trajectory, causing the agent to puncture the concrete once again. This time though, Reiju didn't make any move to attack. If anything, she relaxed her body.

Miss Valentine climbed out of the hole, looking at Reiju warily. Wondering why she didn't take the opportunity to attack like the last time.

She put it out of her mind and took to the sky once again. She smirked at Reiju, thinking she gave up on the offensive.

" **10 000 Kilo Press!"**

Miss Valentine came crashing down towards Reiju once again. But this time, Reiju swiftly jumped into the air, catching Miss Valentine off guard. It was too late to change her trajectory though. Reiju got above Miss Valentine and calculated just the right angle to attack. She unleashed a helicopter axe kick to the back of Miss Valentines head in the split second she had. The effect added to the momentum of Miss Valentine's descent but made her lose control of her motion. Her own power was her worst enemy in this case as her increased body weight was used against her, sending her crashing painfully into the ground. When the dust cleared, her body was lying in a hole in the ground. She wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

Reiju softly landed in a crouch before standing up to her full height. She didn't even spare Miss Valentine a glance as she walked with poise towards her captain.

 **[Winner: Reiju]**

The first mate and cook of the Blood Moon Pirates met up halfway and walked towards Luffy, who was sitting on the table Shizuku was eating at. He had a proud smile on his face as he took in their forms.

"Excellent work you two!" He praised, causing them to stand a little straighter at their captain's praise. He offered them both a drink to quench their thirst from the battle. Shizuku raised a drumstick at them in congratulations. They noticed a strange looking brown fruit with swirly designs at his side.

"What is that?" Kuina enquired.

"Shishishi…think of it as a spoil of war." Luffy answered mischievously.

"Yo! Good work everyone!" Bisca cheered as she joined her crew. They all sat around relaxing after their long day of fighting and partying.

They were interrupted by the clearing of a throat nearby. They looked to the side to see Igaram and Princess Vivi.

"U-umm…I wanted to thank you for saving us…even though you didn't have to." Vivi timidly spoke.

Igaram looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut out of respect for the princess.

"Like I said before…it was just a whim of mine. Think nothing of it." Luffy replied.

Vivi stared at him for a second, before her eyes seemed to suddenly be filled resolve. Like she steeled herself for something. She got down to her knees and prostrated herself before the Blood Moon Pirates.

"I know I have no right to ask this of you. But please, I beg of you. My country is in serious trouble. The leader of Baroque Works is propagating a civil war and thousands of my people are going to die if I can't stop them. Please lend me your aid. We don't have much money, but we will compensate you in any way you desire." Vivi begged. Igaram had tears in his eyes as he saw his princess throw away her pride for the sake of her country.

All emotion melted off Luffy's face as he stared blankly at the prostrated form of the princess. The rest of his crew watched on with interest, surprised at the lengths the princess would go. There was a glimmer of respect in their eyes as they looked at her.

"Let me make something clear to you, Princess. We are not a bunch of heroes. You have seen that first hand. What makes you think we would help you?" Luffy questioned, his eyes drilling a hole into her. Strangely though, when she lifted her head, there was no fear on her face. She just smiled at Luffy.

"I can tell that you are not bad people. Maybe a little mischievous and rowdy bunch. But you are all good people. It's a gut feeling I guess. Plus, at this point…I have nothing else to lose. I can only trust my instincts and hope that they were right." Vive answered with a bright smile on her face.

Luffy looked expressionlessly at her for a few minutes, her eyes never leaving his and her bright smile never once slipping. After a few minutes of the stare down…Luffy let out a tired sigh, before a small resigned smile appeared in his face. He wanted to curse himself, but he couldn't. No matter how badass he tried to portray himself…he was an absolute sucker when it came to strong women. There was something about the resolved filled eyes of eyes of a woman who was willing to sacrifice it all for her loved ones that melted the ice around his heart. It was his greatest weakness.

"You win, Princess." Luffy said with a tired smile on his face. Vivi lit up in joy at hearing his response. "The Blood Moon Pirates will aide you in this endeavour. But we certainly expect to be compensated." He added, trying to save some face, but the girls around him, his crew plus princess Vivi, just giggled at him. Clearly seeing through his facade. He flushed a little in embarrassment before laughing along with them. He invited Vivi and Igaram to have a drink with them while they explained the details of what was going on.

They had an interesting path ahead of them…

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _ **Okay…I didn't intent to write this one for a while. But like I said at the beginning, I decided to squeeze out one last chapter.**_

 _ **The beginning of the Alabaster Arc…**_

 _ **I was going to gloss over the parts with Crocus…but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The scene with him and his running gag was just too iconic for me to leave out. I can watch that scene a hundred times and I would still laugh my ass off. That old guy is just way too cool.**_

 _ **I tried to have a little more interaction between the crew. As you may have noticed…poor Bisca has the unfortunate honour of being the straight-man. As the most sane (Notice I said 'most sane'. She's just as crazy as the rest…but she's not as far gone as the rest.) It was only natural that the role fall to her.**_

 _ **The next chapter will include the sexy Nico Robin, Little Garden (Which I will skim over as it won't be that long) and Drum Island.**_

 _ **I was reading over the older chapters when a though came to me. It was the scene where I had Luffy make that silly entrance at Arlong Park. For some reason I pictured the War of The Best. The fearsome Whitebeard Pirates are staring down the majority of the Marine forces including the Shichibukai. The tension is thick and bodies could start dropping at any second when….Luffy's 'theme song' can be heard. And he comes sailing in, causally standing on the figurehead of his ship…humming that stupid song. The entire force of both pirates and Marine looking at him with dead-pan expressions….It's not something I plan on doing….just a silly thought I had that I thought I'd share.**_

 _ **Anyway…this is definitely the last chapter for a whole. College starts tomorrow and I need to get seriously studying. I'll start updating again regularly in about two months. Take it easy till them guys and thanks for taking the time to read the chapter.**_

 _ **Reviews are appreciated. Flames will be completely ignored.**_

 _ **Till next time…**_

 _ **Lionheart021 out!**_


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All rights to the One Piece franchise rightfully belong the Mastermind of Manga, Eiichiro Oda

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _Letter Script_

" _ **Flashbacks"**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 7: Is the Grand Line Filled With Perverts?**

"Okay, let me see if we got this right. You, Nefertari Vivi, Crown Princess of Alabasta, infiltrated the criminal organisation, Baroque Works, to uncover the nefarious plot that has been put in place by its leader, a man by the name of Mr 0." Luffy recited carefully as the Blood Moon Pirates sat around the table that Shizuku claimed as her own just outside the main building of Whiskey Peak not far from where their ship was anchored. Luffy had tentatively agreed to help the princess after which she had proceeded to outline the bare bones of the plan she had started. Vivi nodded at Luffy's explanation so far. "And you worked your way up the ranks, doing goodness knows what." Luffy added, before giving her a 'look'. Vivi flushed in embarrassment before vigorously shaking her head negatively. She wasn't that kind of girl. "You eventually uncovered the identity of the big boss man, which is a crime punishable by death in Baroque Works, and in turn he found out who you really are and now he wants to silence you?" Once again, Vivi nodded affirmatively. "Wow, I must say I'm impressed. I just thought you were a slutty princess. Turns out you've got some seriously big balls on you." Luffy commented with an impressed look on his face. His girls were chuckling to themselves as Vivi's face lit up in embarrassment at the backhanded compliment as well as the language being used while Igaram looked outraged.

"You scoundrel! How dare you speak to the Princess in such a crude manner?! Show some respect!" Igaram bellowed, his face red and contorted in indignation.

Luffy just gave him a pleasant smile in return, but the bloodlust he was radiating was telling Igaram that he better sit the fuck down and keep his mouth shut. The older man, who was smart enough to recognise the signs of danger, wisely decided to keep his opinions to himself.

"I've got to agree with the boss. It's pretty damn impressive for you to have the courage to do what you're doing, Hime. But, as a former Marine, I've got to ask. Why didn't you just go to them for help? Your position as royalty certainly has a lot of sway with the World Government. That could have easily solved your problem." Bisca pointed out.

The others perked up at this as well, now that Bisca pointed out the obvious solution.

"Now that you mentioned it, why on earth would you ask a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates for help instead of the World Government?" Reiju questioned with narrowed eyes.

"She just casually referred to us as bloodthirsty without even batting an eyelash." Bisca whispered to herself in dejection.

Vivi shifted uncomfortably at the stares she was receiving from the crew, unsure as to how to proceed.

"W-Well…that has to do with the identity of Mr 0." Vivi stuttered out carefully. As she looked at the crew, all she received were expectant looks from them making her sweat nervously.

"Well? Out with it." Kuina prompted with a stern looking face.

"Yeah, I'm curious now. Who's this mysterious leader?" Luffy asked excitedly. He was always up for solving a mystery. Vivi, in response, shook her head emphatically and waved her arms in protest.

"I can't tell you that! If you found out he would hunt you down as well!" She protested vehemently. "I couldn't possibly tell you that he is one of the Shichibukai, Crocodile." She finished.

The silence that permeated the air was stifling. Crickets could be heard chirping. Vivi looked at the completely dead-pan faces of the Blood Moon Pirates and she adopted a look off horror as she realised what she had just said.

"What an airhead." Reiju jibed.

"Well, she had to have some kind of character flaw." Kuina added.

"Apart from dressing up slutty and doing weird dances." Bisca chimed in.

"Stupid." Shizuki threw in her comment.

Each one pierced Vivi like an arrow, causing her to hang her head in shame and mortification.

"Shishishi! I think she's funny!" Luffy said, laughing heartily at the princesses slip up. Vivi just buried her face in her hands, hoping to escape the embarrassment.

They all heard a squawking sound coming from a nearby rooftop. They turned to the sound and spotted a large vulture and a strangely dressed otter, holding up impressively done sketches of the Blood Moon Pirates. Vivi adopted a look of horror as she spotted them, knowing what was going to happen.

"Huh…that's a pretty weird site." Luffy commented as he gazed at the animals.

"And we've seen some pretty strange things thus far." Bisca added, impressed by the sketches they were able to make. The otter jumped on the vultures back and took off.

"Stop them!" Vivi shouted frantically, drawing the attention of the crew to her. "That's Mr 13 and Miss Friday, also known as The Unluckies. They report directly to the Boss! If he gets our pictures, Baroque's Works agents will be actively hunting us down." She warned, fear creeping into her voice.

"Eh? It might be fun to take them all on. Oh well I don't really care either way…" Luffy said as a blue lightning bolt dropped from the sky, electrocuting the The Unluckies. After about ten seconds of being fried by the bolt, they dropped to the ground. Dead. Their corpses still smoking. "Well, I guess I know what's for dinner tonight. Can you cook an otter, Rei?" Luffy commented before turning to his cook. She scoffed at his question.

"Please don't insult my skills, Captain. That vulture is nothing but an overgrown chicken and otter meat is supposedly as tender as veal. By the time I'm done with them, you will be salivating for a bite." Reiju replied with a confident smirk. Luffy looked at her with stars in his eyes. Shizuku too, had a shine to her hungry gleaming eyes at the thought of the feast they would have tonight.

Vivi looked ill at the thought of eating the The Unluckies. Sure, they were animals. But they were a lot smarter than most. Not to mention, she used to work with them. It was hard for her to separate the two. She decided that it was best not to question the antics of the Blood Moon Pirates as it may save her a lot of headaches and nausea in the future.

"So our opponent will be one of the Shichibukai, huh? That's some pretty good luck on our part." Luffy pondered out loud.

"Fufufu…I have to agree, Senchō. He has an entire criminal organisation under his command and I'm sure he has some pretty strong subordinates as well. There will be enough fun for all of us." Kuina said with a bloodthirsty smirk on her face.

"Heh, look at you. Getting all excited to spill some blood. You need to learn some restraint, Kuina. But I agree. At least I know that things could never be boring around our Captain." Reiju commented with a sly smile on her face

"Shishishi."

Vivi look absolutely stupefied at their reactions. Instead of being afraid…they look absolutely ecstatic at the thought of fighting one of the Shichibukai. Even if she was a bit of a sheltered princess…even she knew that a normal person wasn't supposed to react like that.

"Why do you people look so excited?! Crocodile is and extremely dangerous man! The numbered agents he has are all dangerous devil fruit users as well! There's a good chance that we will die going against him." Vivi shouted.

There was silence for a moment, before the sounds of laughter filled the small clearing. Luffy was laughing his ass off. Kuina and Reiju were chuckling along as well. Even Shizuku had something that could be passed off as an amused smirk on her face. Bisca was the only one that wasn't laughing and that's because she was busy trying to stem the headache she was getting from being around a bunch of fucking lunatics.

"Die? Shishishi…You're funny, stripper princess. There's no way we would lose to a flaky bastard like Crocodile. I mean, can you see how badass my crew is!" He exclaimed as his hand swept towards the girls in his crew, each exuding an aura of pure confidence. "Doesn't matter who that bastard has under his thumb. My girls and I will kick his ass all over the Grand Line. That's not a 'maybe'. That's a motherfucking fact!"

The confidence in his eyes and voice as he said that was almost palpable. The girls in his crew all sat up a little straighter. This is why they followed Luffy. His unbending determination as his overwhelming charisma was something that just drew you in, and before you knew it, it was too late. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

Vivi too felt her back straighten at his words. She was brave enough to admit that she was afraid. Not afraid of death though. She was afraid that she would fail her people. Until this point, she knew that she barely had a smidgen of a chance at succeeding. The odds were so heavily against her that she had almost resigned herself to be doomed to failure. But now, with these odd bunch of pirates, things had changed. They gave her something that she had thought she had lost a long time ago. A feeling called…Hope. She could feel that sweet sensation of hope blossoming in her chest as she watched the antics of the Blood Moon Pirates. They were all so strong, so confident, and so fearless. They were everything she herself wished she could be. They didn't even flinch in the face of danger. If anything, they welcomed it with open arms. She started to believe…that maybe with them on her side…she could finally free her country.

"Err, Boss. You said you were going to explain that weird brown fruit you've got there." Bisca said, breaking Vivi out of her thoughts as she focused on the rest of the group.

"I'm glad you ask, my dear Bisca." Luffy said, trying and failing to be suave. Bringing him nothing but giggles from the girls, Vivi included. "This, my friends, is one of the mystical and powerful…Devil Fruits!" He said, as he pointed dramatically pointed at the fruit. The girls leaned in with interest as they inspected it. It was the first time any of them had seen a real one. "More specifically…this is the **Bomu Bomu no Mi** that re-spawned here after Kuina offed that weirdo that liked to play with his boogers."

"Hoh? Do they really work like that?" Reiju inquired interestedly.

"Yup! When you kill a devil fruit user, their fruit re-spawns in the world into a fruit that is closest to its base. In this case, the **Bomu Bomu no Mi** has a pear as its base fruit hence it re-spawned in the nearest pear." Luffy supplemented, getting nods of understanding from the girls.

"So what are we going to do with it?" Kuina asked.

"Well, do any of you girls want to eat it?" He asked curiously.

"Eh? I'll pass." Bisca said.

"Me too." Kuina added.

"Not interested." Reiju answered

"Tastes ugly." Shizuku responded.

"Well, I kind of expected that. What about you, Hime? You want it?" He offered a surprised Vivi. Said girl was a little bewildered but quickly shook her head negatively. "There is the option of selling it…but the only people likely to buy it are enemy pirate crews or the Marines. I don't much feel like strengthening our enemies. I suppose we can keep it in storage until we figure out what to do with it. Maybe a future crew member will want to eat it." Luffy shrugged. He was about to give out some orders, but was forced to choke on his saliva at the most horrifying sight he had ever seen in his young life.

"Vivi-sama! Fear not- Mah-mah-maaah~! - because I have a plan!" Igaram proclaimed. It wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that he was decked out in the same outfit that earned Vivi the nickname 'slutty princess' from Luffy. The grotesque sight of the skimpy outfit stretched across Igaram's large body made Luffy's stomach churn as he fought to keep the contents of his stomach down.

"Igaram?! What on earth?!" Vivi proclaimed as she saw her bodyguard, having lost track of him when she started talking to the Blood Moon pirates.

"That's fucking disgusting!" Luffy exclaimed, his face turning an ugly shade of green.

"I agree." Reiju said with a look of disgust on her face.

"There are some things in this world that are not meant to be seen." Bisca said with a horrified lilt in her voice.

"Repulsive." Shizuku chimed in emotionlessly.

"It makes me want to cut him up into little pieces." Kuina said with a haunted look as she slowly unsheathed Wadou Ichimonji.

"Vivi-sama, please listen carefully." Igaram said, addressing his princess, ignoring the tears flowing down his eyes at the merciless comments of the pirates. "Even though The Unluckies are out of the equation, Baroque Works will eventually receive the report about you and who you really are. And once they learn that we are the ones that know the Boss' true identity, you understand what will happen, don't you?"

"As many as a thousand hunters could soon be coming after us." She replied. Luffy and Kuina perked up at hearing that. Being the battle maniacs that they are, the prospect of fighting off a thousand hunters was something that made their blood boil with excitement.

"That is why I have dressed in the manner of the Princess. I will depart with these three decoys…and travel on a straight course for Alabasta." He announced. "Once they have begun pursuing me…Vivi-sama and the rest of you can safely depart for Alabasta."

"Eh? You don't really have to do that. If those guys come after us…then we'll just eliminate them. Easy as pie." Luffy commented. The casual way that he spoke about eliminating thousands of bounty hunters sent a chill down Vivi and Igaram's spine. Not just at the casual disregard for life, but to the fact that they knew that he and his crew could do it. After all, they had a front row seat to the kind of brutality that the Blood Moon Pirates can perpetuate.

"T-There's no n-need for t-that. I'm sure that y-you could but that would just slow you down from getting to Crocodile." Igaram argued, sweating profusely at the thought of the Princess being exposed to more violence like what they had witnessed earlier.

"Well, if you're intent on going through with this little plan of yours then we won't stop you." Luffy shrugged unconcernedly, causing Igaram to release a breath of relief.

"Now Princess, hand me the Eternal Pose." He prompted, causing Vivi to hand over an hourglass with the word 'Alabaster' inscribed at the bottom. He turned to address the crew. "Now, even though I've never done it before, there should only be two or three stops before you get to Alabaster. I will leave the Princess in your care." He informed them, before turning back to Vivi. "The journey may be dangerous, so please be careful. Hurry back to Alabaster, Princess. I will be waiting."

There was a moment of silence between the two as they communicated everything that they needed to through their eyes. Vivi looked like she wanted to protest his decision, but Igaram was resolute. With a final nod, he boarded the small sailing boat and set off.

She watched him go off with a small smile. His boat had just reached the horizon when the unthinkable happened.

*BOOM*

A violent explosion ripped through the area that his boat had occupied. The sea was littered with flames and pieces of driftwood as the devastating results of the attack became apparent.

"Igaram!" Vivi shouted in despair, tears rolling down her eyes. She tried to go to him but Luffy grabbed her around the waist and her in place. "Let go of me! I have to help him!" She shouted in protest, becoming hysterical. Luffy just spun her around and pulled her into a warm embrace, her head resting on his chest as he gently stoked her hair. That was all that Vivi could take as she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. Luffy allowed her to get it all off her chest, knowing that she wasn't just crying for Igaram but also for all the pain she has had to endure that she locked away for the sake of her self-appointed mission. The others were quite as Luffy comforted her, knowing that this was a sensitive time. After her sobs became sniffles, Luffy addressed her.

"Are you sufficiently calm now?" Luffy asked gently. She let out a little sniffle before nodding. "Good, because that cross-dressing pervert is still alive." He told her. Vivi's head shot up like a rocket and her eyes were wide with disbelief. He could see the question in her eyes and gave her a little smirk. "I have a special ability that allows me to sense people. I can still sense him, he's a little disorientated, but very much alive. So you don't have to worry. Just have faith that he can take care of himself and do your part just as he would want you to." Vivi teared up once again, only instead of sadness and despair, this time it was in happiness and gratitude.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She repeated as she buried her face in Luffy's chest. At this point, the sensitivity wore off and the girls were getting annoyed at the princess molesting their Captain. The killing intent they were giving off was pretty impressive that it actually made Luffy sweat a little. Vivi was completely ignorant to it though, being oblivious to those kind of things. "You really are a strange group of pirates." She said as she finally let go of Luffy and wiped her tears away before giving him a bright smile.

"Shishishi, thanks for the compliment." He replied. Normally she would have sweat-dropped at Lufyy taking something like that as a compliment, but now she just giggled at his silly behaviour. "Okay girls, let's gather up the supplies here and head out!" He ordered.

The girls obediently carried out his orders, emptying the island of their food supply and taking whatever money and weapons they could find.

"Wait! I need to find Carue!" Vivi exclaimed in a panic.

"Carue?" Reuji asked quizzically.

"Carue is my friend. He's a spot-billed duck." She said as she looked around frantically.

"You mean that guy." Bisca was as she pointed to their ship, where a yellow spot-billed duck with a blue helmet and a saddle was waving at them, seemingly having been there for a long time.

"YOU WERE THERE THE WHOLE TIME?!" Vivi shouted with shark teeth.

Just as they were finishing up loading their supplies on, Shizuku walked towards them dragging something behind her. As the crew got a closer look at what she was dragging, they sweat-dropped. She had the leg of Miss Valentine in her hand as she was dragging the semi-conscious body of the girl behind her with an emotionless look on her face, with the girl's face continuously bouncing off the cobble road. Luffy felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face.

"H-Hey, Shizuku. What do you have there?" He asked tentatively.

"Present, Master." She said as she lifted Miss Valentine by the same leg as she held her upside down, like an animal carcass being displayed by a hunter, with a look of satisfaction in her eyes. Luffy just face-palmed at her antics.

"Eh? That bimbo is still alive? I thought you killed her, Rei." Bisca pondered dubiously as she looked towards Reiju who was lightly scratching her head.

"Well I certainly hit her hard enough to kill her. She's sturdier than I gave her credit for." Reiju replied with a shrug.

"What should we do with her, Senchō? Should I silence her…forever?" Kuina asked as she menacingly unsheathed her katana. Luffy's sweating just increased at that, compounded by the fact that the rest of the girls looked to be on board with that idea. While he was no stranger to killing, he didn't condone the killing of a clearly defenceless enemy. He wasn't than immoral. His girls were far too bloodthirsty sometimes. They were crazier than he was…and that was a frightening thought.

'These girls are going to be the death of me!' He screamed in his mind.

"Calm down. Just slap some Kairōseki handcuffs on her and throw her in one of the cells below the deck. We'll figure out what to do with her later." He ordered, getting a pout in response from Kuina at not being able to kill the girl.

Vivi watched the scene with a morbid fascination. The way they so casually spoke about killing was something that both disgusted her and fascinated her at the same time. It was like watching a train wreck. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't look away. The way the girls looked put out that they couldn't kill Miss Valentine made her wonder whether she would be okay with this clearly mentally unstable group of pirates.

"I'm scared." She whispered to herself.

"Me too." Luffy replied piteously from beside her, making her jump in shock. As she tried to get her heart under control, Luffy started belting out orders. "Okay, that's enough fun! Kuina, help Bisca finish loading the supplies. Shizuku, plot our course. Rei, I could go with something to drink." Vivi dead-panned at that last order.

"How does a cool banana milkshake sound?" She asked.

"You're the best, Rei!" Luffy praised with a thumbs up. Reiju just smirked superiorly at the other girls, making them fume silently. Vivi watched this display and once again questioned herself whether it was going to be okay following these weirdo's.

Once everything was pack and ready, they set sail. The Artemis smoothly gliding across the water as they casually lounged across the deck. It was quite early in the morning and there was a cool fog hanging in the air.

"It's a good thing you were able to shake off your pursuers." A melodic voice carried through the air. "You should watch out for the shallows so that you don't strike the hull."

The crew plus Vivi looked up to see a women in skimpy cowgirl outfit casually sitting on the upper railing of their ship. She had lightly tanned skin, blue eyes and shoulder length straight black hair. Vivi, though, recognised the woman and her face turned to one of fear.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Bisca yelled as she pointed her finger at the mysterious woman.

"M-Miss All-Sunday!" Vivi shouted in fear. The woman gave an indulgent smile at Vivi.

"Miss Wednesday. I saw Mr 8 not too long ago." Miss All-Sunday commented airily.

"YOU!" Vivi seethed silently as she glared at Miss All-Sunday with hatred. While she would have normally raged at the woman, she managed to remain composed for the most part thanks to Luffy already telling her that Igaram was fine. It didn't mean that she felt any less anger at the woman.

Miss All-Sunday looked around the ship to see Kuina still casually leaning against the railing. Reiju was sitting on a chair, enjoying the banana milkshake she prepared. Shizuku was sitting in front of an easel, painting something. They were completely disregarding her presence. She wasn't sure whether to feel impressed or annoyed. Normally she got some kind of reaction out of people. She looked towards the Captain to see him staring intensely at her. She shrugged it off at first, but the longer it went on the more uncomfortable she was becoming. She was starting to wonder if this man had recognised her.

"Senchō? What's wrong?" Kuina asked when she saw her Captain staring intently at the women. She drew the attention of the rest of the crew who also looked on curiously at what he was doing. Luffy took his eyes of Miss All-Sunday and turned his serious expression towards Kuina.

"No…I was just wondering if all the girls on the Grand Line are this scantily clad." He answered with an expression of genuine intrigue on his face. The girls couldn't hold back their snickers at the serious face he was making while asking such an off-topic question. It was simply adorable to them

Despite her cool and unflappable demeanour, Miss All-Sunday almost face planted at hearing that. Here she was wondering if her identity was uncovered and he was actually focused on what she was wearing.

"What prompted this sudden thought?" Reiju questioned with an amused smile.

"Well, think about it. Vivi was dressed like a stripper when we first met her. Then there was that cosplaying nun. Then there was the partner of that booger guy, she was wearing the tiniest dress I've ever seen in my life. She didn't even need to jump in the air for us to see her strawberry panties. And now there's a weirdo in a slutty cowgirl costume sitting on the railing of our ship." Luffy explained earnestly before pointing to Miss All-Sunday as he finished. Miss All-Sunday had a tick mark on her forehead at being called a weirdo. It was like the pot calling the kettle black.

Vivi buried her face in her hands at being reminded of her, as Luffy put it, 'stripper' attire. The girls on the other had were highly amused at their Captains observation. He could be surprisingly innocent at times. It also didn't escape their notice that their uninvited guest was getting a little worked up by Luffy's comments as well as the fact that they were ignoring her.

"Don't think about it too much, Captain. I'm sure we'll come across some conservatively dressed woman soon." Reiju said.

"Eh? Why the hell would I want that? I'm a 17 year old boy in the midst of puberty, you know. I mean, can you see how sexy that cowgirl is?!" Luffy exclaimed. There were dead-pan stares directed at him as his crew withdrew their previous thoughts about his innocence. Miss All-Sunday didn't even know how to react to that. Sure it was flattering. And Luffy was a handsome man, of that there was no doubt. But he, along with his crew, seemed so far off the deep end it wasn't even funny.

"Our Captain's strange fetish for skimpily dressed cowgirls' aside…" Kuina started with a stony look on her face, causing Luffy to crouch in the corner of the ship with a raincloud over his head as he drew circles in the ground with his finger. "You called her Miss All-Sunday, right? Well whose partner is she?"

"Mr 0." Vivi replied, never taking her eyes of Miss All-Sunday who once again looked amusedly at her. "She's the only one allowed to know the Boss' true identity. We shadowed her in order to find out who he really was."

"Or to be more precise…I _let_ you shadow me." Miss All-Sunday interjected.

"I knew that! And then the one who informed the Boss of his exposed identity was you, wasn't it?!" Vivi demanded. Miss All-Sunday just closed her eyes and chuckled softly.

"Correct."

"Just what exactly are your intentions?!" Vivi thundered.

"Who knows? But you were so serious about it…I just had to cooperate. A Princess who actually thinks that she can make enemies of Baroque Works and save her country…it's just so ridiculous." Miss All-Sunday said. The rage on Vivi's face was almost palpable.

"What an unpleasant woman." Reiju commented.

"I already hate this bitch." Bisca spat.

"Senchō called her sexy…She needs to die." Kuina said with a murderous look in her eyes.

"Eliminate cosplay pervert." Shizuku added with a slightly maniacal look in her eyes.

Miss All-Sunday started sweating lightly at the killing intent directed at her and murderous looks in the eyes of the female members of the crew.

"Oi oi, calm down girls." Luffy placated with a sweat-drop. He really needed to be careful with his words in the future. His girls could be surprisingly possessive at times. He was starting to wonder if being stuck on a boat with four very powerful and hormonal women was a good idea. It seemed like it at the time…now though, he was wondering whether he would survive this journey. His crew looked at him strangely when they saw the waterfall of tears roll down his face as Luffy contemplated his life choices.

"Those…unpleasant…thoughts aside, you can relax a little…I'm not here on any orders. So I have no reason to fight you." Miss All-Sunday said. Suddenly Luffy ended his little comedy skit and straightened his posture. His body language radiated authority and his mesmerising purple eyes were drilling a hole into Miss All-Sunday, seemingly stripping away all the barriers she put up and peering into her very soul. The change was so sudden that Miss All-Sunday was honestly caught off guard. She got so caught up in their pace that she had completely forgot how dangerous these pirates were supposed to be. Looking at the Captain now, the once silly goofball was gone. In his place stood a man with the commanding presence of a king. She felt a bead of sweat on her face as she came to understand just why they World Government put such a high bounty on his head. This was no normal rookie. He was something dangerous. It wasn't just him either, the four members of his crew snapped to attention when their Captains authoritative presence filled their ship. They knew the time for games was over. Their Captain meant business. Miss All-Sunday was starting to question the wisdom of her decision to invade their ship tight now. It was a seemingly good idea when she thought of it, but as she sat there and faced down the Blood Moon Pirates…it didn't seem like the most intelligent decision anymore. "There's no need to be so hostile. I simply came to observe that man who caused such an uproar amongst the Marines. Fufu…so you are the infamous Monkey D. Luffy." She said with a cavalier look as she tried to cover up the nervousness she was felling as Luffy never took his unnerving stare off her. After staring at her for a little while, Luffy gave her a knowing smirk, something that set her on edge.

"That's me. I'm a little flattered that someone as famous as you came all this way for little old me." Luffy said with a large smile on his face as he never took his eyes off her. Miss All-Sunday felt her back went rigid at his words. She now had no doubt that he knew exactly who she was. He didn't seem to have any hostility in his eyes though, which confused her a little. His eyes showed nothing but curiosity.

"It was just a little stop on my way. You have really bad luck though…You picked up a Princess that Baroque Works wants dead. And that Princess being protected by such a small number of pirates…But your worst luck of all…is the route that Log Pose is leading you on." Luffy quirked an eyebrow at her, wondering where she was going with this. "The name of the next island is…Little Garden." She said ominously. The Blood Moon Pirates looked around at each other, wondering if they were supposed to be afraid or something. "My dears, even if we did nothing to stop you, you won't make it to Alabaster. You will be annihilated. Rushing towards a place where you will die. Doesn't that sound awfully foolish?"

"It sure does." Luffy agreed. Miss All-Sunday gave him an approving smile before throwing what looked like an Eternal Pose at him which he deftly caught.

"With this, you can avoid Little Garden. This needle points to Nanimonai Island just short of Alabasta. Since none of our members know this route, you will not be followed." She said with an indulgent smile. Vivi looked shocked at the offer on the table. The girls on the crew didn't react much, for they simply didn't care. They would follow only what their Captain ordered.

The sound of glass shattering and hitting the ground could be heard as all eyes moved to Luffy who crushed the Eternal Pose on his hand while never taking his intense eyes of Miss All-Sunday. Vivi looked on in horror and even Miss All-Sunday looked a little incredulous at this turn of events. The rest of the crew though, just smirked…having expected something like this.

"As you said, it's a foolish thing to do. Unfortunately for you…those are the kinds of fools we are." Luffy said with a smirk. "I'm the Captain of this ship, as such I decide the route we take. It doesn't matter what danger awaits us or how badly outmatched you think we are…Because in the end…we will win." It was said not as a possibility, but as a fact. Pure and undisputable. The amount of conviction in his words made Miss All-Sunday widen her eyes in surprise and a little apprehension. She had never met a man like this before. "It doesn't matter how many hunters you throw at us. It doesn't matter how many of your numbered agents will stand in our way. It doesn't matter how strong you think your Boss is. Because once his all said and done we will make sure Vivi succeeds… and Crocodile will be lying in a pool of his own blood…defeated. The only question is…how much time he has until that eventuality and whether or not you will be joining him."

Vivi held her hands to her mouth as tears started to leak out of the corner of her eyes. Even though she was ready to follow the path she chose to the very end…until this point…there was still a bit of lingering doubt in the deepest recesses of her mind. But now…listening to Luffy proclaim the absolute guarantee of their success…she felt her doubts crumble away. She felt her resolve renewed and she felt her confidence rise. He was right. She…no…They would do it! She wasn't alone now. She had found her place among this small and strange crew. Never before had she felt more belonging than when she was with them. She would not disappoint them. Not when Luffy had placed his confidence in her. Failure was not an option.

Miss All-Sunday could honestly say that she felt a little fear. The strength of Luffy's conviction and his unbendable willpower blew away any doubts she may have had about the validity of his claims. She couldn't help but think back to another 'D' that had impacted her life. He was much the same. So confident and resolute…even in the face of death. He never backed down. She wondered what it was with them. Was there something special about that initial? She didn't know, but she was curious. Along with the fear she felt, came a bit of excitement. She wanted to see more. She wanted to watch this man. She wanted to see the kind of impact he would have on this world.

Kuina, Shizuku, Bisca and Reiju all had smirks on their face at hearing their Captains words. They never expected anything different. That was the kind of man he was. That was the man they had decided to follow. They were never once afraid. Not of Baroque Works and not of Crocodile. Their Captain was with them. He placed his confidence in them and their power. That meant that they would succeed for failure was never an option. They would carry out his orders and ensure that he is victorious. They were his sword and his shield. They would remove whatever little obstacles were in his way and make sure that he reached his objective. In this case, it was Crocodile. They would deal with those numbered agents and clear the path for their Captain to go on and eradicate Crocodile. The inevitability of that was already set in motion. Crocodile was living on borrowed times.

"I see. It seems nothing I will say can change your mind." She said as she got off the railing and walked to the side of the shit. "Let us meet again, Monkey D. Luffy." With that said, she jumped off the edge and landed on a giant turtle with a riding straddle strapped to it. Without a word, it started swimming off. The Blood Moon Pirates just watched her leave, having no interest I stopping her.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It took the gang a surprisingly short amount of time to reach Little Garden, much of which was spent relaxing on their deck, soaking up the sun. The weather, for the most part, seemed to have calmed in the last few days and paved way for beautifully bright sunny days. There were lots of ice-cream being eaten and bonding being done. The crew got to know Vivi a little better and came to understand and respect the depth of her love for her country.

They realised that Little Garden was on the horizon when an abnormally large dolphin sailed over their ship. It was the size of a large whale. They didn't know what kind of island Little Garden was, but they were smart enough to realise that there was something odd about it.

As they docked in a river mouth on the edge of the island. There were enormous trees and littering the island. It looked like an adventurer's paradise. There was so much natural beauty on offer that the island could be thought of as an untamed jungle. Unsurprisingly, there didn't seem to be any human settlements on the island.

"Okay crew, listen up!" Luffy announced as their ship dropped anchor. "We don't know what kind of dangers this isl-"

He was cut off as he turned to see the biggest bird he has ever seen in his life descend towards their ship, intent on plucking one of them for lunch. Things didn't go his way though, as Shizuku jumped into the air and nailed him with a punched that sent him rocketing to the other side of the island. After landing on her feet, she made a show of dusting her hands off, getting a small applause from the rest of the girls.

"Like I was saying…we don't know what kind of dangers this island possesses. Evidently though, it has larger than average wildlife. So be careful of any hidden dangers and tread carefully." Luffy warned. "With that in mind…Rei! Make me a pirate lunchbox! I'm going exploring!" He exclaimed, getting dead-pan looks from the rest of them.

"Hai hai." Reiju said before getting to work.

"Um…Is it okay if I come with you, Luffy-san?" Vivi asked timidly. Luffy looked at he in a little surprise before giving her a smile and a thumbs up.

"Sure you can, Vivi."

"This might actually be a good opportunity to fill up our pantry. If the animals on this island are all the size of that dolphin we came across or that bird…we can stock up on enough to last months." Kuina pointed out.

"So you mean we should go hunting? Hoh? How interesting. I'm definitely game!" Bisca said.

"Shishishi…Good luck girls! Bring us back something good!" Luffy cheered them on. Upon getting his validation of their chosen activity, the two of them locked eyes for a moment before a look of rivalry passed through them.

'I will impress Boss/Senchō with the biggest trophy.' They both thought competitively.

"Are you coming as well, Shizuku?" Luffy asked his navigator. She looked at him blankly for a few seconds, before nodding in acceptance.

"Okay, here you go. Five pirate lunchboxes. I'll stay here and watch the ship. Just make sure you guys don't go and do anything stupid." Reiju said, causing Luffy to innocently tilt his head and point to himself. "Especially you!" She shouted.

With that said, they all took off. Kuina and Bisca raced off in different directions, intent of finding the best game to hunt. Luffy, Vivi and Shizuku took off at a leisurely pace as they scoped the place out.

They were getting deeper into the jungle when Vivi stopped on the bank of the river they were passing.

"Is this what I think it is?" She asked in shock as she held up a strange shell-like life form.

"Ammonite." Shizuku clarified.

"These are supposed to be extinct! What kind of island is this?!" Vivi shouted in shock.

"A prehistoric one." Luffy calmly pointed out, nodding his head sagely.

"How do you know that?!" Vivi asked hysterically.

"Well…there's a Brontosaurus over there." Luffy laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, pointing towards a towering Brontosaurus. Vivi's eyes widened in shock and horror at the sight.

"Cool." Shizuku commented with sparkles in her eyes.

"Oi! Look over here!" Luffy waved his arms as he tried to her the Dinosaurs attention.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Vivi shouted with shark teeth as she smacked him in the back of the head.

"Eh? I thought it would be fun to have a little fight with him. Plus…it looks like it would taste really good." Luffy argued with a pout. Shizuku's back straightened when she heard that, a small trail of drool escaping the corner of her mouth and a glazed look in her eyes.

"Master is a genius." She whispered deliriously before charging at the Brontosaurus and clocking it in one of its tree-trunk sized legs, causing it to howl in pain. She kept on attacking with alarming ferocity, but the Brontosaurus was built like a tank and was surprisingly able to take a lot of abuse.

"Ah ah…Looks like Shizuku smells blood in the water. I actually feel a bit sorry for the big guy. Drawing Shizuku's attention is never a good thing." Luffy lamented with a look of pity directed at the dinosaur. Vivi rubbed her forehead in annoyance, hoping to stem some of the headache from hanging around the Blood Moon Pirates.

As Shizuku continued her furious assault, the Brontosaurus that she was attacking had its head lopped off cleanly. Shizuku froze in place, her body starting to tremble lightly. There was silence for a moment before strange laughter filled the air.

"Gyagyagyagya!"

The biggest man any of them have ever seen entered the clearing, carrying a sword with remnants of the dinosaur's blood on it along with a shield. He also wore worn leather armour.

"You're a funny bunch of humans. I saw you guys playing with the long-necks." He heartily commented.

"Whoa! You sure are big, Ossan." Luffy commented as he shielded his eyes with his hand in an effort to get a better look at the guy. Vivi was terrified out of her mind at the sight of a giant. Shizuku though, was glaring daggers at the man. If looks could kill, he would be a giant pile of smouldering ash right now.

"Gyagyagya! I am Elbaf's mightiest warrior, Dorry!" He shouted.

"Oh? Monkey D. Luffy, future Pirate King. Nice to meet you." Luffy introduced himself with a casual wave of his hand. Vivi looked at him in shock at his casual dismissal of the dangerous situation they were in right now.

"Pirate? That's great! Gyagyagya! Come, let me show you to my place!" Dorry said as he picked all three of them up and carried them off.

"Neh? Are we being kidnapped right now?" Vivi asked gloomily.

"Shishishi! Don't sweat the small stuff, Vivi!" Luffy told her with a hearty slap to the back. He looked over to Shizuku and sweat-dropped. She never once took her murderous gaze of the giant. She was clearly upset that he stole her lunch that she was so looking forward to.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

"Gyagyagya! This pirate lunchbox of yours is quite tasty." Dorry said as he ate the lunch Reiju prepared for Luffy. They were currently situated in Dorry home, inside a large cave.

"Shishishi! Of course it is! My cook prepared it after all. If you had said any different I would have kicked your ass." Luffy said cheerfully. Vivi wanted to be shocked at the outrageous thing he said to a fucking giant of all things, but at this point she was just tired. Which was why she was softly banging her head against the wall, hoping this nightmare would just end.

"Kick my ass?" Dorry said with a serious look on his face, causing the tension to rise slightly before he started laughing. "Gyagyagya! What a funny little man!"

While this was going on, Shizuku was completely ignoring them as she was too busy in fantasy land as she tore through the feast of dinosaur meat that Dorry prepared for them. As soon as he presented them with the feast, all the anger she was feeling at him went away and she gave him a robotic thumbs up before digging in.

The gang got on splendidly after that…well Luffy and Dorry did. Vivi was still scared out of her mind and Shizuku didn't care for much beside the delicacy of dinosaur meat. Eventually though, a volcano went off in the middle of the island. Dorry picked up his weapons and said that it was time to fight and that his new friends were welcome to watch. Luffy, Vivi and Shizuku watched as Dorry fought another giant in a fierce battle that eventually ended in a draw. Dorry eventually hobbled back to the cave.

After calming down, Dorry began to tell the story of himself and Broggy and their fight in an effort to settle their 100 year dispute according to the rules of Elbaf. It made Luffy's respect for them go up but Vivi was horrified that people would fight to the death for such a thing, especially when Dorry said that he forgot what they were fighting about.

"Errm…Mr Dorry? How long does it usually take a Log Pose to set on this island?" Vivi asked with some trepidation.

"One year." The answer was immediate with absolutely no hesitation. Vivi's face morphed into of dismay.

"Well…that certainly is a problem." Luffy commented as he scratched his chin is thought.

Luffy suddenly snapped his head to the right. The signatures he picked up as soon as they set foot on this island were suddenly giving off a very pleased vibe. Luffy wasn't really going to do anything about them, but considering that they have a criminal organisation after them, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to check.

"Dorry, can I leave my friends in your care? There are some ants scurrying around this island that I need to squash before they do anything stupid." Luffy asked the giant.

"Gyagyagya! Sure thing my friend." He replied.

"Thank Dorry!" Luffy thanked before turning to Vivi and Shizuku. "Girls stay here while I go take care of this." He ordered.

"Is it Baroque Works?" Vivi questioned perceptively.

"I'm not sure yet, so I want to go check just in case. But at this point, I would be surprised if it wasn't." He told her honestly.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

An arc of blue lightning rocketed through the forest before stopping at a certain spot, congregating into the shape of a human. Luffy gazed from his spot perched on the branch of a tree, peering into a small clearing in the middle of the forest. There was a conspicuous looking igloo sitting in the middle of the clearing. It looked to be made of some smooth, malleable substance that clearly wasn't ice.

He felt the two signatures that he was looking for calmly sitting inside, unaware of the beast that was currently hunting them. They didn't feel particularly powerful to Luffy, but he decided not to take any chances. He walked up to the door of the igloo and kicked it open.

"Wha!" A masculine voice shouted from inside. "Who the hell are you?!" A man with a blue and white striped vest, blue pants and blue shaded sunglasses shouted. He had the strangest hairstyle Luffy had ever seen. It was in the shape of the number 3. That basically gave away his identity to Luffy who looked at him like he was an idiot. There was a little girl with him as well. She had a blue and white check shirt and blue pants with a wide brim red hat on her head covering her auburn hair that was done in two pigtails. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but your luck has run out today. You just intruded on two agents of Baroque Works. Prepare to die!"

" **Candle Lo-"**

That was as far as the man got as Luffy appeared in his line of vision, introducing the man's face to his fist…painfully. He went flying back into the wall of the igloo, crashing into it hard before slumping to the ground. Luffy looked to the little girl, who was sweating bullets at this point. He didn't feel like hitting a little girl, so he used a small burst of **Haoshoku Haki** to knock her out.

He walked over to the man he had punched, grabbed him by the hair and sat him back down at his previous position before taking a seat next to him.

"Now, judging from that stupid hairdo you've got going on there…I'm assuming you're Mr 3, yes?" Luffy questioned.

"I-I won't t-tell you anything!" Mr 3 said defiantly, though there was an undertone of fear in his face.

WHAM!

"Wrong answer!" Luffy exclaimed as he grabbed Mr 3 by the hair and slammed his head face first into the table they were sitting at. "So let me ask you again, even though I already know the answer. Are you Mr 3?" Luffy asked in a pleasantly menacing tone of voice as his killing intent flooded the air.

"Y-Yes." Mr 3 stuttered out. He could feel his nose was likely broken and he wasn't looking forward to more of the treatment.

"Good answer! Next question…What are you doing on this island?"

Seeing the hesitation from Mr 3 made Luffy sign in annoyance. He grabbed him by the hair once again, preparing to give him a little reminder as to why it's in his best interest to answer.

"Wait! Wait!" Mr 3 said anxiously. "We came here to claim the bounties on those two giants! They have bounties of 100 million beli each. I thought the Boss would be happy if I brought that much money in!" He explained frantically.

"Hmmm…So you're saying that you didn't know we were on this island. That you have no orders to impede us?" Luffy asked.

"Huh? I don't even know who you are?!" Mr 3 exclaimed.

"Hoh? Is that so?" Luffy commented with a smirk on his face. "That's good. You should be thankful Mr 3. If you were here on orders to get in my way…I would have had to kill you." Luffy said with a friendly smile that made Mr 3 almost shit himself. "As it is, you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time." Mr 3 breathed out a small sigh of relief. "That being said, your main base of operations is in Alabaster. So the question is, how were you planning on getting back?" Luffy questioned as he wrapped his arm around Mr 3's shoulders in a friendly gesture, but to Mr 3, it felt like being in the constricting embrace of an anaconda. He felt a nervous bead of sweat roll down his face, recognising that he had no choice in the matter here if he wanted to see tomorrow.

"T-There's an Eternal Pose in the briefcase o-over there." Mr 3 said nervously, as he pointed to the side of a room where a black briefcase sat.

"Hey! That will be really helpful in the future. You're a good guy Mr 3." Luffy praised as he gave the man a hearty pat on the back. Said man lot out a relieved chuckle as well, glad that he would be spared. He would have to find a way to get information about this man to the boss as soon as possible. He was far too dangerous to be left alive. He didn't get much time to think about anything else though as Luffy grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed to down on the table with the same friendly smile on his face.

WHAM!

"Urg-g..W-wh-y…" Mr 3 asked pitifully.

WHAM!

"S-s-sto-p…"

WHAM!

….

"Oi? You still awake?" Luffy asked as he cupped his ear and leaned down close to Mr 3. There was no response.

WHAM!

"You can never be too sure." Luffy said to himself as he nodded sagely.

He left Mr 3 face down on the table and went over to the briefcase. He checked inside and found the Eternal Pose he was looking for. He pocketed it quickly along with the wad of cash that was rolled up in the briefcase. He looked around the place and spotted two Den Den Mushi. He help up his fingers in the pose of a gun and zapped the both of them with his lightning, rendering them useless. He couldn't have Mr 3 contacting Crocodile anytime soon. Normally, he would have just killed the guy…but seeing as though he was just here by coincidence…Luffy decided to leave him be. It was done on a whim. Besides, he had a little girl with him and Luffy wasn't up to killing her. If he left her alive and with the corpse of her partner in the middle of a prehistoric jungle…well…that wasn't any better than death. He thought about taking them prisoner…but he already had one and wasn't up to deal with the headache of feeding them all. So he decided to leave him here to the whim of fate. If he survived, then good for him. If he didn't then…well…it was no skin off Luffy's back.

He left the igloo without a word, heading towards the direction of Dorry, to pick up Vivi and Shizuku. He hurriedly gathered them, bidding goodbye to his new giant friend, before heading to the ship. He found Kuina and Bisca already back from their little hunting expedition. Kuina was displaying a huge triceratops and Bisca was showing off the T-Rex she bagged.

"Shishishi…Good job girls…but I think it's time to get off this island." He said, getting a confused look from Vivi.

"But Luffy-san. Mr Dorry said that it takes one year for the Log Pose to set on this island." She pointed out dejectedly.

"Well…it's a good thing that I found this conveniently placed Eternal Pose to Alabaster then." Luffy replied with a mischievous grin as he held up the Eternal Pose for all to see. The happiness that bloomed on Vivi's face was warming to see, not to mention infectious as they all hurriedly packed away all that they needed to for them to set off.

"Everything ready?" Luffy called out, getting affirmatives from his crew. "Then let's set sail!"

As they were leaving the river mouth of Little Garden and re-entering the turbulent Grand Line waters, Bisca's sharp eyes noticed something.

"Hey Vivi, it looks like you were bitten by a bug. Are you going to be okay?" She asked concernedly.

"Hai. It was probably just a mosquito or something." Vivi replied, before looking to the horizon. She couldn't wait to get back to her country and stop this pointless war. She would do everything in her power to stop Crocodile from making a mockery of her people.

 **xxxxxxx**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _Another chapter out. I was actually planning on combining both the Little Garden Arc and the drum Island Arc in this chapter…but I got a bit carried away with the first half of the chapter. Oh well…_

 _As you can see…I pretty much glossed over Little Garden. I was actually planning on skipping it entirely but then I remembered that I needed them to get the Eternal Pose and I also needed someone to get bitten by the bug or there would be no reason to go to Drum Island._

 _I picked Vivi because…well…I honestly can't see any of the others coming down with any ailment. I've kind of written them as inhuman monsters as such I don't think a bug bite would put them out of commission…even if it is one from a prehistoric bug._

 _Next chapter will be some Chopper goodness…I love that little guy. Some people have questioned whether or not it would be a good idea for someone as innocent as Chopper to join the Blood Moon Pirates….I admit…I also had my reservations….but I think he will be a good foil for them…providing the balance for the more crazy members of the crew. Of course, they will tone back some of their more bloodthirsty tendencies when he is around…but it won't go away completely._

 _Also…a very special thank you to Vruon (Midystus on deviantart) for his fantastic work in drawing the Jolly Roger of the Blood Moon Pirates that is currently the cover art for this story. You are a legend my friend!_

 _Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. Your reviews are much appreciated._

 _Lionheart021 out!_


End file.
